The Kushtak Land Otter Man

The question you may be asking yourself is what is a Kushtaka? The Kushtaka, loosely translated to “land otter man,” by the Tlingit people of Southeastern Alaska, is a legendary shapeshifting creature that is endowed with supernatural powers, and lives in an uncharted rainforest. Kushtaka employs psychological tactics to subdue their victims, the Kushtaka is also said to have telekinetic powers and the ability to manipulate time and space, moving at mind-blowing speed from one position to the next. The Kushtaka often use deceptive tactics by transforming themselves into the shape of a deceased relative to further boggle the minds of their victims. They are often described as tricksters, driving their victims to madness or even death. For …show more content…
The Shaman is often referred to as a spiritual leader or guide into the spirit world, keeping people safe, healing the sick, and predicting the future. It is Tlingit tradition for the Shaman to collect the tongues of birds and animals for their spirit powers, the role of the Shaman was to aid in decision making and act as a governing power within the tribe. The role of the Shaman is more important than any other role that could be held within the tribe. After the great flood, the Raven i.e. the Creator, who had given the land otters shamanistic powers told the land otters they must save those in capsized canoes. However, “if the friends of those taken away by the land otter were to get them back, they would become shamans.” Often victims would also escape from the land otters with intervention from a Shaman in their village, thereby making them a Shaman too. In order to prepare for the role the Shaman would traverse into the woods on eight occasions for eight days each, in this time he would fast, drink only salt water, and chew a plant called the “devil’s club.” The herb would ward off evil and served the tribe ceremonially and medicinally. The power of Shaman’s in Tlingit culture is immense. Furthermore, the Shaman would bathe in icy water to cleanse his body and purify his mind so he could receive and control the spirits. When the Shaman reaches a certain level of purity, he would often be approached by a land otter, he would then chant a mantra killing the otter, cutting of the left side of it’s tongue and wrapping it in twigs. This action would form a powerful amulet called a “skutch” containing the spirit of the land otter and the shaman with all of his knowledge. The Shaman acquires a great deal of his powers through the tongue of a land otter, it possesses powerful medicinal properties. The level of power that a Shaman could obtain is directly correlated to the number of spirits he attains.