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communities who have some claim to the knowledge and practices, the commercialization of shamanism

could undoubtedly help preserve shamanistic practices by exposing them to a larger audience and also

generating a need for those services. Not only does tourist awareness create a need to continue practices, due

to the decline in authentic shamanism and because of the anger towards the exploitation of their practices,

indigenous communities have put more effort into preserving and reclaiming their spiritual practices. Due to

generational gaps in the transfer of indigenous knowledge some shamanistic practices were going extinct.

Now more groups have begun to create curandero networks in order to train new shamans and keep practices

continuing (Langdon, 2016). Also, in Peruvian indigenous groups, their specific knowledge of traditional and

sacred medicine helps to reinforce identity, something that could be lost in exploitative commercialization

(Bussmann, 2013). Instead, if more indigenous communities use commercialization to gain national

recognition by reclaiming their intellectual property they could benefit from increased rights from the

government (Langdon, 2016). The globalization of Peruvian shamanism could also lead to the overall

preservation of such practices as well as lead to people recognizing the benefits of shamanism and promoting

a greater appreciation for the practices and their origins.

The commercialization of shamanism has led to both positive and negative effects when it comes to

Peru and its indigenous communities. The economic benefits have changed the tourism industry in drastic
ways, leading to many other consequences. While the exploitation of shamanism has fostered the idealization

of the indigenous people in Peru, it has also afforded them an opportunity to reclaim their intellectual rights

and agency as a populous in Peru. It could be argued that commercialization is an inevitable progression for
the survival of indigenous people, and its consequences could be seen as either good or bad. Whether the

commercialization of shamanism is a positive or negative occurrence for the country of Peru is too nuanced of

a query to create a definitive determination when you consider the complexities surrounding indigenous rights
and the nature of culture itself. However, if done in the correct way, the negative effects towards indigenous

peoples could be mitigated and these practices could be shared with the rest of the world through
commercialization in a way that captures the cultural relevance and multidimensionality of Peru while still

benefiting the economy.

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