In eastern Siberia, people have relied on the wisdom and counsel of tribal shamans for centuries. They've acted as advisors to their people, healers, and spiritual leaders. Now, a group wants to hold an election to choose the "Supreme Shaman" in Russia, in an effort to unite these indigenous tribes. The idea is not going over well.

Organizers say electing such a figure would "help raise the profile of Russia's ethnic tribes after their wretched treatment at the hands of the Soviet authorities." Unfortunately, the tribes tend to disagree on a number of things, so it would be a bit like someone being elected "Chief Pagan" in the United States -- there's no unifying set of rules, no one set of beliefs that every single person shares. It seems that a number of Siberia's shamans are pretty unhappy about this whole thing, but over two hundred individuals are already registered for the election, hoping to win the title.

Siberian shamanism has its roots in animism, there are stories of shamans who escaped the Soviet secret police by turning into animals. In the 1930s, Josef Stalin tried to destroy shamanism, but there are still around four million people in the non-Slavic eastern tribes who still follow the guidance of shamans.

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