The Ongoing Globalization of Ayahuasca: an Indigenous Perspective | Sacred Plants II

Sacred Plants in the Americas II
April 23, 24 and 25, 2021

Speakers: Leopardo Yawa Bane (Translated Pedro von Tol)

I am a representative of the Kaxinawá (Cashinahua) Indians from the state of Acre in Brazil. Traditional Brazilian indigenous communities such as mine have used ayahuasca as a medicinal plant since time immemorial. Today, the use of ayahuasca is spreading to the Western world. Recently, a large number of indigenous people have traveled the world, especially in Europe, where they present their culture, offer shamanic rituals and spread the use of ayahuasca to bring healing to the West. Many shamanic groups and healers have emerged, spreading the use of ayahuasca to urban areas of large cities. I myself have been traveling the world for several years. I feel privileged by the experiences I have had, which until recently would have been impossible for me. As a child, not even in my wildest dreams could I imagine that I would travel the world and teach people about my culture and tribal traditions. While the global spread of ayahuasca and indigenous culture is something that I support, and that has brought me joy and many opportunities, there are some things that concern me. My main worry is that my people and our culture will be forgotten as more and more Westerners are introduced to ayahuasca in foreign contexts. Its original meaning and guardians may be lost. I believe that the problem with ayahuasca is, in essence, a human rights issue: as an indigenous representative from the Amazon forest, I want to speak to you about my views of the ongoing globalization of ayahuasca, and how we might move forward together on this issue.

Leopardo Yawa Bane is the son of a traditional chief of the Huni Kuin (an indigenous group also known as the Cashinahua). Leopard Yawa Bane is an international and national advocate of preserving the ecological heritage of the native lands of his people. Born in the Cashinahua Reserve of the Jordan River in the State of Acre, Brazil, Bane and his brother Fabiano were sent from the villages to Brazilian cities at a young age by their father and chief, in order to learn new knowledge of the world outside the forest and to represent their people in tradition, heritage, and politics. Since then, Bane has completed his university studies, learning to speak Portuguese fluently, and has begun to represent his people nationally and internationally as an ambassador and healer. Bane and his people see the mystical and natural duality of the plants and how the spiritual world can be accessed through the plants found in their native areas. As is common with indigenous tribes around the world, and particularly in the Amazon, the Huni Kuin have a unique worldview, from creation to the beyond, derived from the wisdom of plants and their shared history. Bane grew up using and being trained in the use of medicinal plants by his grandfather. Fifteen years ago, he started using different medicinal plants with non-indigenous people. Bane brings the knowledge of his ancestors, of his people, and of the forest.

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