GSIS Utopia(s) Conversations on a Convivial Society for All & on a Sustainable Planet

Edson Krenak: Shamanic Dreams and Indigenous Activism: Reshaping Ecopolitics
27 November 2024, 18:00 CET
GSIS Lab, “Alte WU”, Staircase C, Floor 4, Augasse 2-6, 1090 Wien

Pls, register for in-person or online (ZOOM) participation by email sent to office@gsis.at

Edson writes:

Drawing from extensive engagement with the activism of the Krenak, Munduruku, Yanomami and other Indigenous peoples worldwide, I analyze the impact of shamanic traditions on Indigenous activism and political movements in the first decade of the 21st century. Shamanic traditions embody a holistic view of the environment, where humans and nature are inextricably linked (one). Shamans, as mediators between the human and non-human worlds, translate these complex relationships through rituals and storytelling, fostering a sense of multispecies citizenship (ontologies). This approach challenges the dominant narrative of nature as an object to be managed or conserved, proposing instead a model of coexistence.

The political discourse of Indigenous peoples, deeply enriched by shamanic perspectives, operates within a delicate balance. On one side, it contends with the self-objectification imposed by external categories such as territory, culture, citizenship, kinship, and environment—categories that often emerge from colonial frameworks. On the other side, it reclaims these experiences through a cosmological reinterpretation, embedding their struggles within spiritual and metaphysical frameworks. This duality creates polysemic layers of meaning, where symbolic constructions of history and identity are interwoven with cosmological knowledge. These knowledge systems legitimize Indigenous ethnic discourse, ensuring that cultural coherence is maintained even as communities engage in political transformation. Thus, Indigenous peoples are not merely resisting or assimilating but actively reshaping their political realities in alignment with their cosmologies, maintaining their cultural identities while navigating imposed political structures. This dynamic allows for both the preservation of cultural integrity and the promotion of political agency.  

Edson was already guest at our “Utopia(s) Reloaded” talks in 2023. Read more about Edson here.

This event is subsidised by the Commission for Education, Inclusion, Diversity and Social Affairs (BIDS), a District Cultural Promotion Division of the Vienna Cultural Department (MA 7).