Premium
structure, content, and cultural meaning of yuwipi : a modern Lakota healing ritual 1
Author(s) -
KEMNITZER LUIS S.
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
american ethnologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.875
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1548-1425
pISSN - 0094-0496
DOI - 10.1525/ae.1976.3.2.02a00060
Subject(s) - indeterminacy (philosophy) , meaning (existential) , identity (music) , content (measure theory) , acculturation , sociology , epistemology , anthropology , aesthetics , psychology , philosophy , mathematical analysis , mathematics , ethnic group
An analysis of the structure of a modern Lakota healing ritual and the kinds of problems treated by it reveals Lakota beliefs about the nature of humans and their relationship to the universe, including their experiences with acculturation. The first step in controlling the indeterminacy that is pervasive in Lakota life is recognizing and accepting the disorder. The agents of this control are certain spiritual beings and forces associated with identity symbols, which are identified and manipulated in the ritual .