The Native American shaman is a spiritual guide and healer, a man with traditional knowledge, visionary power, and enormous tribal respect. Associated with the rituals of the shaman are objects invested with everyday magic. This lavishly illustrated record of the accoutrements of shamanism among Northwest coastal Indians is the product of 15 years of research by Allen Wardwell, former curator of primitive art at the Art Institute of Chicago. The items shown include amulets and robes, each a tangible echo of shamanistic power.
