During my research for cultures or rituals that have a unique potential for interesting successor storylines, I noticed one cultural practice that kept recurring across the Ecuadorian Amazon—Shamanism. 

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Regardless of how different or remote, most indigenous communities told stories about powerful shamans practicing ancient rituals deep within the forest. It became increasingly clear that there is an inherent bond between the cultures of the rainforest and the animistic practices of shamans. So, after teaming up with a local guide, we ventured deep into the Amazon forest to find out what it takes to become a shaman successor.

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Our journey led us through many communities within the Ecuadorian Rainforest, including the Siona, Secoya, and Cofan—most of whom are struggling immensely to pass their ancient cultures on to the new generation, which seems increasingly drawn to outside influences. It was only after weeks of traveling, crossing the Ecuadorian Amazon from north to south, we eventually found our successor’s story within the Shuar community.

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The Shuar people live in small communities spread across different regions of the Amazon rainforest. Each community has at least one family among them that has dedicated itself to practicing the ancient rituals and protecting the ancestral knowledge passed down through generations.

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We learned that the title ‘Shaman’ is generally frowned upon in the Amazon. Many communities believe that the title ‘Shaman’ is an outsider's way of either misrepresenting or minimizing their culture. For the Shuar community, the protectors and practitioners of their ancestral rituals are known as ‘Uwishint’ — a title that we made sure to respect and use during our time with them.

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The Shuar Uwishint's main role is to act as the pharmacist of his community. Utilizing the ancestral knowledge bestowed upon him, he explores the rainforest in search of medicinal plants — offering help in protecting both the body and spirit of those around him.

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Becoming an Uwishint is a long process that starts at a very young age — an age when the Shuar elders believe kids can be tested for their spirits without regard to their social class or experience within their communities. 

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Interestingly, the selection process of the community’s future Uwishint begins entirely without the awareness of the potential successors — at least up to a point :). Usually around the age of six, the community’s Uwishint will randomly begin challenging different kids through a series of unassuming games or tasks:

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“Who can help me by climbing up there and getting this funny-looking leaf from the top of the tree?” or “Which one of you can carry this log all the way to my hut without falling?”

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These challenges allow the Uwishint to secretly examine the young kids’ strength, agility, determination, and, most importantly, their behavior toward others around them.

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As explained to us by the community’s elders, an Uwishint has to be strong physically and mentally. 

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Physical strength is key when climbing the trees of the Amazon and hiking for hours through the forest in search of medicinal ingredients. But even more important is the Uwishint's ability to master his own mind. This is because the Uwishint's responsibilities often venture beyond the healing of the body and into the mind, including helping his community by negotiating disputes, soothing grief, or even calming madness.

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Around the age of twelve, one child will be deemed worthy and selected to begin training as the community’s future Uwishint—an honor granted by the acting Uwishint and the elders of the community. The young child will immediately begin his apprenticeship by following the Uwishint on his explorations, learning about the different plants of the forest, their unique uses, and the dangers of mishandling ancient knowledge.

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We learned that life in the Amazon rainforest can be quite treacherous, regardless of how careful or initiated you might be — even a slight misstep or an unlucky encounter with a predator can prove fatal. This is why, to protect their ancient knowledge and culture, the Shuar community often trains multiple members as potential Uwishint successors — hoping to safeguard their ancestral knowledge through the safety of numbers.

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One of the most important stages of becoming an Uwishint is the consumption of a notorious concoction known as “Ayahuasca.” This powerful hallucinatory potion serves as a test for the successor's mental and physical fortitude. 

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Traditionally, the young successor would consume the Ayahuasca deep within the forest, away from the familiar grounds of his home. Guided by his mentor, he would slip into a trance-like state, allowing him to reach deep into his psyche and find his connection to the nature around him. After which, he would be left alone in that state for different periods of time, ranging from a few hours to days.

Upon completing the ritual, the newly ‘reborn’ Uwishint successor will mark himself by wearing a unique crown of feathers, made especially for him by his mentor in honor of his transformation. 

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This marks him as a carrier of ancestral knowledge and rituals. The initiated successor will practice this ritual many times throughout his life, hardening his mental strength and preparing him for the day when he will have to step forward and replace his mentor as the new acting Uwishint.

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Sadly, many of these ancient Indigenous lifestyles are constantly threatened and interfered with by relentless forces from the outside world. From the influence of corrupt government officals to the mining activities of oil companies, many ancient communities like the Shuar are being pushed out of their lands. Encouraging many of the new generation to seek a better life elsewhere, straying away from their ancient lifestyles in favor of a more modernized life outside of the Amazon forest.

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Only time will tell if communities like the Shuar will manage to protect their culture and produce enough successors during these challenging times. Failing this cultural challenge could mean the loss of thousands of years of human interaction with the Amazonian rainforest, breaking an ancient chain of knowledge transfer from one Uwishint to the next that is older than we can imagine.

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This image series and storyline is part of my long-term project ‘The Successors.’ There are many unique and extraordinary cultures worldwide whose future lies in the hands of their modern-day successors—young individuals whose decisions and personal journeys will determine the future of ancient arts and traditions, shaping the world of their communities for thousands of years.

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Join me as I explore more of these stories of succession and try to uncover the future of these relics of the human experience.

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