A term used as a general reference to an indigenous community's spiritual leader or traditional healer. Such a person has the skills and knowledge to perform rituals, heal sick or injured individuals, communicate with ancestors and the otherworld, prepare traditional medicine, and provide spiritual counseling.
"Curandera, a traditional healer or shaman, Los Golondrinas, New Mexico, July 16, 2011" by Larry Lamsa is licensed under CC BY.
Encyclopedia Britannica Online
N.d. Shamanism. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/538200/shamanism, accessed September 23, 2014.
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