Women and Indigenous Religions (Women and Religion in the World)

This book examines the critical and often undervalued contributions of women to the culture, well-being, and subsistence of their communities as active, powerful, and wise ritual specialists. From the Dalit midwives in India to the women of the Nahua region in the state of Morelos, Mexico, from the indigenous nations in Turtle Island in Canada to the shamans (male and female) of South Korea and Vietnam, there are still many vital indigenous cultures around the world in which women often hold positions of religious authority and leadership. Women and Indigenous Religions addresses specific issues in the study of religion, such as the multifaceted tensions between indigenous traditions and gender and the genealogy of positions of authority in religion or spiritual matters. A close examination reveals that native religions, with their women specialists, are still a source of inspiration for millions of men and women even in the "advanced" areas in the world. This fact challenges the opinion that indigenous cultures are becoming extinct. Women and Indigenous Religions 4 Copyright 5 Contents 6 Introduction: Perspectives of Indigenous Religious Traditions from the Americas, Asia, and Australia 8 PART I. WOMEN, FAMILY, AND ENVIRONMENT 12 1. Ngarrindjeri Women’s Stories: Kungun and Yunnan 14 2. Feminine Rituality and the Spirit of the Water in Peru 32 PART II. SOCIOECONOMICS, POLITICS, AND AUTHORITY 54 3. Indigenous Spirituality, Gender, and the Politics of Justice: Voices from the First Summit of Indigenous Women of the Americas 56 4. Authority and Ritual in the Caves of Tepoztlán, Mexico: Women Priestesses in Popular Religion 80 PART III. BODY, MIND, AND SPIRIT 102 5. Dressing up the Spirits: Costumes, Cross-Dressing, and Incarnation in Korea and Vietnam 104 6. Women and Sacred Medicines among the Khasis in the Highlands of Northeast India 126 7. The Not-So-Subtle Body in Dais’ Birth Imagery 138 PART IV. SEXUALITY, POWER, AND VULNERABILITY 154 8. Ritual Gendered Relationships: Kinship, Marriage, Mastery, and Machi Modes of Personhood 156 9. Sexuality and Ritual: Indigenous Women Recreating Their Identities in Contemporary Mexico 188 PART V. WOMEN, WORLD VIEW, AND RELIGIOUS PRACTICE 204 10. Drawing the Connections: Mayan Women’s Quest for a Gendered Spirituality 206 11. Decolonizing our Spirits: Cultural Knowledge and Indigenous Healing 228 Suggested Reading 244 About the Editor and Contributors 252 Index 256 0275991571,9780275991579,9780313082733 Praeger Cover -- Women and Indigenous Religions -- Contents -- Introduction: Perspectives of Indigenous Religious Traditions from the Americas, Asia, and Australia -- PART I. WOMEN, FAMILY, AND ENVIRONMENT -- 1. Ngarrindjeri Women's Stories: Kungun and Yunnan -- 2. Feminine Rituality and the Spirit of the Water in Peru -- PART II. SOCIOECONOMICS, POLITICS, AND AUTHORITY -- 3. Indigenous Spirituality, Gender, and the Politics of Justice: Voices from the First Summit of Indigenous Women of the Americas -- 4. Authority and Ritual in the Caves of Tepoztlán, Mexico: Women Priestesses in Popular Religion -- PART III. BODY, MIND, AND SPIRIT -- 5. Dressing up the Spirits: Costumes, Cross-Dressing, and Incarnation in Korea and Vietnam -- 6. Women and Sacred Medicines among the Khasis in the Highlands of Northeast India -- 7. The Not-So-Subtle Body in Dais' Birth Imagery -- PART IV. SEXUALITY, POWER, AND VULNERABILITY -- 8. Ritual Gendered Relationships: Kinship, Marriage, Mastery, and Machi Modes of Personhood -- 9. Sexuality and Ritual: Indigenous Women Recreating Their Identities in Contemporary Mexico -- PART V. WOMEN, WORLD VIEW, AND RELIGIOUS PRACTICE -- 10. Drawing the Connections: Mayan Women's Quest for a Gendered Spirituality -- 11. Decolonizing our Spirits: Cultural Knowledge and Indigenous Healing -- Suggested Reading -- About the Editor and Contributors -- Index This book examines the critical and often undervalued contributions of women to the culture, well-being, and subsistence of their communities as active, powerful, and wise ritual specialists. --from publisher description