1. Hmong Shamanism By Vang Xiong

2. Hmong Shamanism is a tradition which is very old and passed down from generations to generations.

3. Shamans are a key figure in the hmong culture and religion. Only a few are chosen to be Shamans in each of the Hmong families. Being a Shaman means a big deal to those who still practice the old ways of the hmong culture.

4. These are the tools that a shaman uses to prepare and perform at certain rituals and ceremonies.

5. Here are some more equipments that a Shaman uses during a ritual or ceremony

6. Shamans aren’t made and neither are they born. It is believed that during a persons life they will be chosen by the spirits and will become very sick. It is believe that you will dream about riding horse and going over mountains, and then your family will call forth a shaman. To perform the first ritual to see if the spirits have really chosen you to become a shaman.

7. One of the rituals that a shaman would perform on a person who has been ill is called, “Calling the spirit”. It is believed that when a persons spirit leaves their body the will become very sick, and the shaman will come and perform a ritual to go look for the spirit and call it back into the sick persons body.

8. Interview with Psychologist: Dr. Don As I interview Dr. Don, I asked him about Hmong people becoming Christians, and what does he think about if other people of different backgrounds practicing Hmong Shamanism? Dr. Don believes that it will be difficult for other ethnic backgrounds to practice Hmong Shamanism if they don’t know the language or the culture very well. But it will be more likely for them to learn about Hmong Shamanism.

9. The End