Shamans and Kushtakas

Shaman and Kushtaka, both struck terror in the hearts of the Tlingit and Haida, for both possessed frightening supernatural powers. Among the Natives of the Pacific Northwest Coast, the shaman was honored as a person who could heal the body and spirit as well as see into the future. In his struggles to protect his people, he fought the kushtaka---an evil spirit-being who was half human and half land hotter---for the souls of dying persons. Theirs was a battle betwe... >Voir plus