Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit

Shamanism and Reintegrating Wrongdoers into the Community

By Frederic B. Laugrand & Jarich Oosten
Series: Inuit Perspectives on the 20th Century
Publisher: Nunavut Arctic College
Paperback : 9781896204567, 232 pages, January 2012

Description

While modern Inuit societies are still adapting themselves to the new lifestyles required by integration in a global economic market and life in much larger communities, they are affected by many social problems such as unemployment, drugs and alcohol, spousal abuse, and suicide. Many Inuit feel that the modern justice system is inadequate in dealing with these major issues and wish to turn to Inuit tradition to solve these problems. In this book, eight elders share their views on dealing with social conflicts in the traditional way and passing on shamanic knowledge, as shamans were an important part of keeping the peace and settling conflicts within the camps.