14 Shamans Murdered in Peru

Fourteen traditional healers have been brutally murdered in Peru in the past 20 months, allegedly at the urging of a local mayor. The Peruvian government has sent a team of investigators to look into the incidents. While 14 shaman have disappeared, the bodies of only seven have been retrieved so far; the indigenous healers were shot, stabbed or hacked to death by machete.

Protestant Sect Members Suspected

The prosecutor’s office of Alto Amazonas province stated that the alleged murders were carried out by a man known locally at the “witch hunter,” at the behest of his brother, the mayor of the town of Balsa Puerto. A Peruvian government adviser and expert on Amazon cultures alleges that both are members of a Protestant sect that claims shamans are possessed by demons and must be eliminated. The Peruvian Times reports that the shamans had been planning to form an association to share their knowledge.

Irrecoverable Loss

The shamans’ deaths go beyond a brutal crime to represent a loss of unrecoverable knowledge. NGO Amazon Watch’s Peru program director Gregor MacLennan is quoted in the Guardian: “The death of these shamans represents not just a tragic loss of life, but the loss of a huge body of knowledge about rainforest plants and the crucial role shamans play in traditional medicine and spiritual guidance in indigenous communities.”

As the U.S. government marks Columbus Day on October 10, it is disheartening that the oppression of indigenous people that began with the conquerors’ arrival back in 1492 continues to this day.

Image: Urarina Shaman photographed by Bartholomew Dean

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
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Charles Y.

11:25PM PST on Nov 29, 2011

Real good christians if they don't do it your way kill them.

send a green star

Sarah M.

10:34AM PST on Nov 8, 2011

So tragic!

Kunu H.

8:28PM PDT on Oct 16, 2011

HaHo (Hello),
Fear of the unknown has always brought these kinds of acts upon other human beings customs and traditional ways, even here in the United States amongst the Native Americans, split factions within our own communities.
Not to many people here know that we just got freedom of religion, but many of our medicines are illegal, so its just a way to pray to the Creator, the best we can!
Why? We are classified as "Prisoners Of War" Special class citizens, and then the list gets real long on what you can do and not do!
They can not turn off our minds and our hearts, but they(United States Government) still tries!

Juan T.

7:47PM PDT on Oct 16, 2011

There are two types of God.

There is the God who dwells everywhere and in our hearts and love all human beings alike. That God promotes understanding, reason and acceptance.

This god who is worshiped by these animals fundamentalists that promote intolerance and violence. The god who promotes a faith blind and stupid. A god that promotes selfishness.

I think there is a difference between God and the god of many of these murderers. The difference is that the god that worship those savages are the demon of ignorance and fanaticism

As a native moves me a lot this act as barbaric against the brothers of Peru. I Demand that the government of Peru to arrest the murderers. Also I recommend the expulsion of all religious sects from the indigenous territories. Enough crimes are committed wrongfully in using the name of God as parapet. Get out of the Amazon.

valerie g.

5:32PM PDT on Oct 16, 2011

Hopefully, those powerful Masters will Unite in Spirit and become even more powerful! Knowledge is never lost. It goes underground. The secrets of the ages have always been hidden, and it's never held by only a few. As more and more people pay attention to the plight of the planet, the indigenous peoples, nature, animals, the Truth and Light become stronger. We are all one. The truth is becoming evident, and these atrocities are the last gasp of the tyrannical dinosaurs who are in their death throes. You can kill the messenger but you cannot kill the Truth. The light is growing. The new dawn is here...

Kathy K.

7:45AM PDT on Oct 16, 2011

This is awful. I hope that the find and stop those responsible and soon.

Dolores M.

7:18AM PDT on Oct 16, 2011

It is very cruel what has been done by the Protestant Church, but let's not forget all the people that have been massacred in the name of Catholicism through the ages...especially the Aztecs in Mexico by the Spaniards! ANY religion that kills people is not a real religion. This is not what God wants.

Megan R.

2:37PM PDT on Oct 15, 2011

I am so sad and angry. The loss of these people is heinous.

William G.

7:24AM PDT on Oct 15, 2011

I pondered how Christians might include the death of the 7 – 14 Shaman in their Sunday rituals. The leadership might consider this a small event in light of the wonderful work they are doing in killing Muslims and other non-Christians in the Mideast. Many ignorant sheep will deny their part in this action and maybe even pray for the Christian style salvation of the Shaman. The educated Christians that can read and write and think might realize the Shaman lifestyle is in full accordance with God’s will and that their death is truly a tragedy; a loss to humanity. These Christians will probably tell themselves that it is not their church; it is this single protestant group. The ‘witch hunter’ in Peru is the ‘poster child’ of Christian ideology and education. Does a true evangelical Christian celebrate this Sunday? The Shaman accepted their demise and hold no malice; although more time on earth will have allowed them to do more of God’s work on earth and thus give them more time to purify their souls. I am finding it difficult to forgive the Christians this trespass, but I realize it is a selfish act born of grief. I will soon recover and forgive as the Shaman do.

Kamil A.

2:32AM PDT on Oct 15, 2011

We have to fight for the better future with no discrimination