This relatively short, well written book on shamanism and the religious practices of the Ojibway Indians is a delight to read. Clearly outlined in readable and informative chapters John Grim walks the reader through large scale conceptions of shamanism and then applies these ideas to the specifics of one group of Native Americans. Mr. Grim starts with an overview of shamanism that sets a context for the reader with basic definitions, religious roles, and the community involvement of shamans. He then gives us an overview of the academic study of shamanism, and why he thinks shamanism must be looked upon as a religious phenomena which deserves a religious analysis beyond ethnology.

The next chapter is dedicated to an overview of Siberian shamanism "in order to develop some interpretive patterns of examination of the shaman's religious function (pg 32)." We learn first and foremost that shamanism is grounded in tribal cosmology. In these cosmologies, with their notions of the various worlds of existence and a cosmic or world tree which connects these worlds through its roots, trunk, and branches, the shaman is the man or woman who walks between these worlds for the community in search of power and of healing. Like the macrocosmic world tree which intersects these worlds, the shaman intersects micro-cosmically these worlds for the needs of the community. The same sort of patterning is found in the healing process as well. Many shamans come to their profession through a numinous "calling" which is often followed by an initiatory illness. Surviving the illness becomes one type of proof of a new shaman's ability to control and to access spiritual power. This personal experience of numinous power and healing becomes the template for a shaman's ability to heal. He/she reenacts this primal experience in the healing process and can thus bring healing to others. As well as these religious functions, Mr. Grim makes us aware that shamans are grounded in a particular historical and cultural context. "Shamans are formed by their particular cultural traditions, in as much as they draw on their cosmology, mythology, ritual, and symbols. They also help form tribal tradition through their own creative experiences (pg 40)."

The book then moves to an exploration of Ojibway shamanism and its historical background. Discussion focuses on a number of specific Ojibway religious concepts. We are introduced to the "dodem" or totem which is the mythical psychobiological symbol of the life forces, and "manitou" or a spiritual power which is acquired during the very important vison fast. The significance of the vision fast cannot be underestimated. "The vision fast provides the individual Ojibway with the means to initiate contact with surrounding spirit power. No longer isolated or alienated from the environment, the visionary's psychological response becomes intimately related to his surroundings (pg 63)." This environmental or landbased spirituality is an extremely important component of Native American religiosity in general and of Ojibway religion in particular.

We are introduced as well to various forms of shamanic practioners among the Ojibway. We learn about the "tcisaki" shaman or male diviner, the "nanandawi" shaman or tribal doctor, the "wabeno" or "men of the dawn sky" who "manipulates fire in order to interpret dreams, guide novices, and heal the sick (pg 67), "and the "meda" or family healer. Especially important is the discussion of the "midewiwin" or Great Medicine Society.

The next four chapters are taken up by exploring central components of shamanism (cosmology, tribal sanction, ritual reenactment, and trance experience), and looking at their specific manifestations among the Ojibway. In concluding the move from general to specific Mr. Grim looks at the stages in the formation of a shaman, (calling, training, sickness-withdrawal, and emergence) and applies them to the Ojibway. These chapters are very lucid and nicely connect general theory to specific practice.

The last chapter on "The Shaman as a Religious Type," will be a special boon for secondary teachers of religious studies and world history. The shaman as a religious type is compared to the religious types of the prophet, priest, yogi, and sage. Both students and teachers will find these similarities and differences helpful.

Most tantalizing of all are comments Mr. Grim makes concerning the wisdom inherent in shamanism and its applications for our modern world. "The shaman's particular capacity to evoke resonance with the natural world appears again as a need for our own time.......There arises a challenge to bridge the gap between these different perspectives on the modern world by developing a religious consciousness that is aware of our psycho-physical roots in the earth itself. There is a need not for manipulation but for communion with earth processes. The shamanic consciousness has preserved the capacity for evocation rather than domination. The sympathetic relation of the shaman to his environment is an invaluable corrective in times when we have apparently lost this primordial mode of religious perception (pgs 207-08)." We eagerly look forward to more from John Grim on this subject.

We heartily recommend "The Shaman" for both students and teachers.

review © 2000 by Tom Collins and RSiSS

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