Nukemachi

A nukemachi is a healer and a spiritual leader, often believed to possess psychic powers, in Chanuche religion. Only women can become nukemachi, though there are also male healers, called kalku, who are usually wandering medics, considered disconnected from the spiritual world. Nukemachi are one of the most important and still prevalent aspects of Chanuche culture, particularly within indigenous societies in southern parts of Gapolania. While representatives of the native belief system, most nukemachis openly practice Sotiriniaty, often mixing shamanism with modern Sotirian customs.

A nukemachi wearing traditional Chanuche ornaments.

Description

A religious figure, nukemachi leads most of the ceremonies within the community she represents - initially every village had their own nukemachi but the dwindling popularity of native faith and increasing access to health services caused reduced the number of people turning to traditional authorities, including nukemachi. During the rituals, nukemachi communicate with the spirit world and are believed to be able to see and talk to deceased, with several claiming they talked with their descendants from few previous generations. Ceremonies also include singing, both by nukemachi only, as well as by the participants - in Chanuche culture, human voice is said to wield knowledge older than its user, as it comes from the inside, connecting with the spiritual self.

More than just healers and priests, nukemachi are also advisors, historically with a great political power, influencing both internal and external policies of a tribe they resided in. While not decisive, their instructions were usually respected and followed. During the war, the priestesses were spared, as harming them was considered an act of threatening the spirits. If a nukemachi was not able to lead any community, she could be accepted into the inner circle of other nukemachi, though their power would be greatly reduced.

Nukemachi can arrange and conduct funeral ceremonies, if the buried person or their family asks for it. They can perform rites together or without the presence of Sotirian or other priest, even if the deceased was an official member of the Sotirian Church. Nukemachi discourage cremating the bodies, as they believe every person, in order to reach the spirit world, must be physically present in it after death. Because of that, Template:Sky burial were often practiced historically by the Chanuche, leaving corpses to rot on the rocks or in the woods but those customs were widely abandoned after the introduction of the Sotirianity.

History

Illustration from the History of Jossia and Gapolania (Storia della Jossia e della Gapolania), presenting a nukemachi and a group of novices healing a patient.

An important religious and political figures, nukemachi were widely targeted by the Povelian colonizers. Following a series of wars against the indigenous inhabitants of Jossia and Gapolania, Chanuche and Dabu people were driven out of the coastal areas and pushed back into the highlands and mountains in the interior, forming isolated communities, in which the role of nukemachi started to differ, with some tribes reducing their power, while other increased it. Forced conversions of the indigenous populations to Sotirianity oversaw encouragement of antagonistic behaviors towards nukemachi, including banishment, beating and even killing - symbolic sacrifices backed by Sotirian priests. With time, Chanuche people became deeply divided between those embracing Povelian rule, which allowed them to live in the urban areas, where they could access food, money and education and those who decided not to convert to Sotirianity, hostile towards the colonizers. These more traditional societies maintained their semi-nomadic lifestyles and often waged minor wars against the formal administration of Jossia and Gapolania up until the late 19th century.

Natia Aruñin was a prominent face of the Chanuche independence movement after the Great War.

The situation of nukemachi worsened further in the first half of the 20th century, during the rise of nationalism in Jossia and Gapolania and then outbreak of the Great War on the continent. They were seen as incapable of effectively leading any community and their actual political influence on the indigenous people was removed. During the Great War, the Chanuche actively fought in both Jossia and Gapolania, especially in the more mountainous areas, where they formed guerilla groups, often not associated with either governments. Nukemachi played an important role during the war, tending to wounded and making decisions while the community leader was gone.

After the war, several of the nukemachi, including Aura Humùndun and Natia Aruñin, were advocating for the Chanuche independence, claiming that the governments split the land in half, forcing families to live on two sides of the border. While the movement did not fulfill its goal, the voices of Humùndun and Aruñin caused the government of Gapolania to recognize Chanuche language as a regional language of the country. While mostly representative, nukemachi saw a revival of indigenous culture and traditions, often acting as pioneers and initiators of many projects and acts. In 2004, a ritual called ahichögun was written onto the list of the national protected cultural heritage in Gapolania.

Types

Saqui Bellarente is the first nukemachi to hold the office of the commune mayor.

There are several types of nukemachi, with differences being a result of the geographical spread of the Chanuche people. While there is no official classification within nukemachi and they can be classified as more than one type, there are three prevalent professions in the modern Chanuche culture.

• Kachumachi are mostly herbalists, focused on the traditional medicine and treatment of the people and animals. Possessing a wide medicinal knowledge, they are responsible for diagnosis, prevention and treatment of diseases and injuries. In urbanized communities, young girls destined to become kachumachi are often encouraged to take up medicine classes in order to expand their knowledge.
• Kafkümachi are believed to be deeply connected to the spirit world, have premonitory dreams and see both past and future. In traditional Chanuche mythology, any nukemachi who witnessed the death of a person she knew the name of can become kafkümachi, as the deceased will bless her in order to be able to talk to her and state their will. They are also responsible for the funeral and treating the elderly and are commonly associated with the death. Any kafkümachi can be contacted to discuss the meaning of dreams and visions, as well as to confirm and treat possessions, although the concept of demons was not traditionally present in the Chanuche culture.
• Kimelün are the teachers, a nukemachi who are considered enlightened with knowledge out of reach for normal people. They often serve as advisors and councilors, on both formal and non-formal levels. They are respected for their ability to understand both the spirit and physical world and adapt the knowledge to serve the wider community.

There are also several minor or extinct roles for nukemachi, including gülnemachi, the singing priestesses, iralmachi, women responsible for trade and providing goods for the community, as well as gathering information about the outside world or weychanmachi, warring leaders, active during the initial phase of the Povelian colonization, in which they distinguished themselves as being able to gather very large numbers of followers within days. The warring priestesses were highly oppressed by the Jossian and Gapolanese administration, seen as more dangerous than male leaders.

Current status

With the ongoing globalization and urban expansion in Jossia and Gapolania, the status of nukemachi varies between the communities. With most of the population practicing Sotiriniaty, nukemachi are perceived rather as medics more than priestesses or spiritual guides, as they can be quickly reached in even the most isolated areas. However, their deep understanding of Chanuche traditions allows the indigenous people to maintain their native belief system and create a bridge between the religions, often combining rites and rituals.

The revival and continuation of Chanuche heritage is attributed to nukemachi, who, since the end of the Great War, actively fight for ethnic and religious minorities' equality. The Gapolanese National Heritage Protection Program, launched in 2004 involves a numerous group of the Chanuche, including nukemachi. The program created the Chanuche Festival and Zità Festival, during which the indigenous people of Jossia and Gapolania can meet and promote their customs.

Nukemachi still wields a high level of prestige. Despite nukemachi's historical and present influence, women's position within the Chanuche communities was always much lower than men's and to this day there's a significant disparity between Chanuche men and women in access to education, average income or unemployment. Becoming nukemachi offers more opportunities and increases the chances of obtaining a proper level of education and higher income.