Arctic – Indigenous peoples of the Arctic (including parts of Samiland, Norway, Iceland, Greenland, Canada, Alaska, and Russia) adapted to its harsh conditions in a variety of ways, and the region is argued by some scholars to be the (or at least a) locus classicus of shamanism, encompassing the Inuit, Evenk, Saami, and other indigenous communities. Such diversity demonstrates that the concept of a single ur-shamanism is inappropriate, yet consistencies across the cultures of the region (e.g., the mastery of spirits, sorcery, and healing) indicate areas of commonality.
SOURCE:
Historical Dictionary of Shamanism by Graham Harvey and Robert J. Wallis 2007
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