Mark Plotkin is encouraging everyone to Vote particularly Democratic since the US Democratic President Joe Biden offered the that he’d like to work to preserve the Amazon Rainforest. This Republican administration not so much.
There are many ways to help and support the needs of the Amazonian people. Ethnobotany is incredibly important and even more so than ever before given the times of COVID and high healthcare needs.
It is worthwhile to pursue ethnobotany in meaningful ways and with a considerate friendly stance toward any culture one is interacting and working with to grow relationships and earn trust and wisdom.
The NY Times ran ‘The Amazon Can Save Your Life” Sunday article by Mark Plotkin (MarkPlotkin.com) recently to a great responsive audience. He shares much about the shamanic wisdom and knowledge about plants and more in that article, including the value of psychoactive plants to address some psychiatric conditions.
Here are some comments from the talk he is giving Thursday, Oct 8th, 2020 on zoom. He is sharing a wonderful set of slides of many shamans, those who trained with him and many of the plants and processes used to treat a variety of ailments and more.
There are traditions to drink tea made from a certain kind of vine (liana) that may help prevent malaria, but that has not been tested. The tagged specimen is the first recorded of species. Ten years ago a section of the Amazon forest to protect sacred plants.
One of the hallucinogens (Plants of the Gods is a podcast that Mark Plotkin will share next month to introduce the array of plants and hallucinogens. The Immortality Key is a book that came out recently Mark Plotkin is recommending.
He gives a summary of some ancient ‘holy’ drink that had opium and marijuana or other religions which may have used such drugs to have visions and altered states of experience..with all due respect to any religion he feels it is worth considering the theories and findings.
Here are the initial notes from the talks. Shamans from 7 different ayahuasca cultures were invited to a gathering and honored Professor Richard Schultes and protecting sacred plants and traditions.
Amazon Conservation Team FB page live program on Friday, 10/9/20 I’ll put some notes here for any of us to share. Mark Plotkin, worked with Harvard professor Richard Evan Schultes (1930s-50s) who studied in the Amazon, a renowned ethnobotanist. Credit given to the locals whose knowledge and ways went back thousands of years.
More online about him. Mark Plotkin’s work, World Wildlife Fdtn work helped save forest and animals. Then realized needed more help for the people to protect the forest as Prof. Schultes did. Mark’s new book is The Amazon: What Everyone Needs to Know Tales for Shaman’s Apprentice is Mark Plotkins’first book. The “primitive people” were the real knowledge keepers much as Shultes said.
Ethnobotanists knew properties of the plants, some non-toxic plants used with poisons to make more potent. Long-term relationships are key to gaining information and important depth… rather than the short-term internships.
Mark has worked with people for 4 decades. There’s still more to learn. AmazonTeam.org was asked for help to make a map so Wuta became a cartographer. Childrens’ book The Great Kapok Tree. Natala is the featured shaman in Mark’s book.
From Scoville Library to Everyone: 07:15 PM
Lands of Freedom: Preserving and Honoring the Heritage of the Matawai
From Me to Everyone: 07:19 PM
One shaman who had killed 20 white me and other Indians who had trespassed on his sacred land befriended Mark. He speaks Portuguese. He did have more knowledge than Mark realized he knew for one ailment (he is the paramount shaman… even though he didn’t reveal that to Mark for 12 years…)
Another current shaman didn’t tell Mark he was skilled in that way for 15 years. One of every 3 plants are liana… they are vines with fruits and flower on the tree tops so difficult to work with. The vines may have medicinal qualities that were not recognized or easily obtained.
From Laurie Everyone: 07:20 PM
https://rainforests.mongabay.com/amazon/
From Me to Everyone: 07:20 PM
COVID has killed a lot of important leaders and is not covered in mainstream media. mongabay.com reports important news… “COVID is Killing Indigenous Leaders” is an article Mark Plotkin wrote on mongabay.com to expose that tragedy.
Many uncontacted tribe were contacted by missionaries (and some resulted in dying after a year) or forced out with drug pressures burning their lands.
It’s important to set up ways to protect others and the land. Having success for ten years is valid rather than just a year. New story book launch tomorrow at noon live on FB Amazon. There are concerns about having people go in without permission from the natives without invites.
Paul Cox is another ethnobotanist sharing important information. Traditions are still being held from over the centuries, some running over 50 continuous hours. They would honor different forest animals and would use snuff to keep their energy going.
With COVID, the natives are searching for healing for COVID concerns, having lost many to it.
The two most powerful and fearful animals are the jaguar and the harp eagle (which flies over the canopy and ‘has a view like nobody else’.) An ayahuasca session can last a day or more, with one cup at a time given that can induce hallucintations. Mark shared he had a vision of connecting with a harp eagle as though he had flown with the eagle…and he had sore muscles the next morning.
To help the forest it’s important to Map, Manage and Protect. The Indians and natives have to be clear of their property boundaries. They need to be able to manage the valuable plants and trees for sustainable use. They also need to protect their land from loggers and missionaries building on their turf.
“Jaguars are smart animals and one doesn’t go into the jungle alone.” Jaguars can attack people, and have killed many in a tribe that hunted alone (especially at night) without a hunting dog.
Younger people learned to read and write from the Western missionaries. They initially were only given a translated Bible but that has helped them survive in the modern world…