How did shamanism influence traditional religious life in the Great Basin?

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Indigenous peoples of the Great Basin Kaylei Weed (left) of the Eastern Shoshone Tribe with her two sons and mother, Elaine Ethel Weed, at the Wind River Indian Reservation in 2015.

In the Great Basin, shamanism was a central element of religious life, accessible to both men and women. Individuals were typically called to this role through an unsought encounter with a spirit-being, which served as a tutelary guide; resisting this call was considered dangerous and potentially fatal.1

Shamans functioned as intermediaries who derived their authority from these spirit-beings to perform various roles, including:

Curing: Shamans performed multi-day ceremonies to treat illness, often employing the practice of sucking a disease-causing object from a patient’s body. Apprenticeship under an experienced mentor was common, where novices learned specific rituals and feats of legerdemain.1
Divination and Sorcery: Beyond healing, shamans were believed to possess the power to foretell the future or practice sorcery.1
Communal Leadership: In the western Great Basin, certain men utilized their perceived powers to charm antelope, facilitating communal hunts.1
Protection: Some individuals were believed to possess supernatural invulnerability to arrows or bullets.1

Because of the high stakes involved in their duties, shamans who experienced frequent failures in curing patients faced the risk of being killed.1