Kaingang shamanism as a decolonial potentiality

Abstract The different ethnographic studies focusing on the Kaingang people pointed out similar evidence concerning the deep political nature of their shamanic praxis. By presenting ethnographical cases, this article emphasizes the implication of Kaingang shamanism as a cosmopolitical expression involved the historical colonial process. A critical analysis of the shamanism concepts is conducted here with a proper terminology and illustrates the point of view of the Kaingang people on this topic. In particular, the concept of vẽnh péti (dreams) experienced by the kujà (“shaman”) is presented as a possible decolonization impulse. More than a review of ethnographical studies, this paper proposes the mythical narration of a kujà about the birth of Kaingang shamanism and the measures taken by this community to save humanity from darkness, giving back to them political feminine protagonist and the wishes of a decolonial future in ga (the Earth).

摘要 针对卡因冈人（Kaingang）的多项民族志研究，均指向其萨满实践具备深层政治属性的相似证据。本文通过呈现民族志案例，着重阐明卡因冈萨满教作为一种宇宙政治表达，与历史殖民进程存在深度关联的内涵。本文以规范的学术术语对萨满教相关概念展开批判性分析，并阐明了卡因冈族群针对该议题的本土视角。尤为值得关注的是，库亚（kujà，即“萨满”）所体验的vẽnh péti（梦境）这一概念，被视为一种潜在的去殖民化动力。本文不止于对民族志研究的综述，更提出了一段由库亚讲述的神话叙事：内容涵盖卡因冈萨满教的起源，以及该族群为将人类从黑暗中拯救出来所采取的举措；该叙事赋予了政治层面的女性主角身份，并寄托了在ga（大地）之上构建去殖民化未来的愿景。