On this segment of North Star Journey, MPR’s Jacob Aloi talks with Hmong shaman Billy Lor and others about shamanism and its importance in the Hmong community.
The shaman's role in Hmong spirituality is often mistakenly thought to be solely related to religion. But shamanism is only part of traditional Hmong spirituality and religious practice. It also involves animism, which is the belief that everything in nature has a spiritual essence, and ancestor veneration, which is the practice of showing respect and reverence towards deceased ancestors.