Music, dance, chanting and sometimes animal sacrifices are part of these rituals. Shamans are believed to be divinely appointed at birth, showing prescribed signs as they age. Each disciple has a ...

These masks, known for their distortion and asymmetry, are one of the oldest kinds of art in southwest Alaska.

This story appears in the December 2012 issue of National Geographic magazine. Nergui stood in the center of the room, swaying from side to side, chanting, “Great sky, please come here.” ...