As hereditary shamans gradually die off one by one, the designation of Jeolla Province’s ssitgimgut ritual as a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization world intangible cultural heritage is being pursued. South Jeolla Province has begun to pursue the listing of the Jindo ssitgimgut, one of Korea’s leading shamanist rites, as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity with UNESCO. Jindo is an island located off the southwestern coast of the Korea Peninsula.

A painting in Gua Tewet records a shaman's trek into the spirit world, Chazine says. The lizard in the center represents the shaman. The jagged line under the lizard—a sort of stairway—stands for the shaman's difficult path. The smooth lines on the right symbolize the successful completion of the journey, when the shaman attains an altered state of consciousness that affects all parts of his body and allows him to communicate with spirits.

Shaman says we're too late to stop global warming.
Thirty years ago, there was time to change and reverse the effects of global warming on this earth. In 1978, Angaangaq Lyberth informed the world in front of the United Nations about the melting of the Arctic ice cap. Back then, there was time to change. Now Lyberth said, there isn't.

Deep in the Suriname rainforest, an innovative conservation group is working with indigenous tribes to protect their forest home and culture using traditional knowledge combined with cutting-edge technology.

SAGAPONACK, N.Y. — The mystery began on the first Monday night of August, when as many as 1,500 people, according to the local police, descended on Sagg Main Beach here to dance to the polyrhythmic beats of a Brazilian drumming circle.