Conservation of the Biological and Cultural Diversity of the Colombian Amazon Piedmont: Dr. Schultes’ Legacy

Abstract

Richard Evans Schultes, the father of modern ethnobotany,arrived in Colombia in 1941. Over a period of 50 years,Schultes carried out the most extensive research of hisera on the plants and cultures of the Colombian part ofthe Northwest Amazon. His invaluable work stands outnot only for its scientific excellence, but because he wasthe first researcher to emphasize the important role tobe played by ethnobiology in the coming years. Evenin Schultes’ time, ethnobotanists across the world werepressed to recognize the importance of focusing on boththe conservation of the Amazon jungle and of its inhabitantcultures, societies which serve as repositories ofknowledge about many medicinal substances with greatpotential application for the Western world. Schultes tookdirect action, strongly urging the research community tocease expeditions having the sole purpose of searchingfor new medicines; instead, he insisted on the need totrain professionals willing to share life with the peoples ofthe tropical jungles. Dr. Schultes worked to transform abotany increasingly concerned with economic potentialsinto an ethnobotany with heart. The Amazon piedmontis the world’s region of greatest biodiversity, as well ashome to one of the last surviving ancient shamanic traditions,the yagé culture, which comprises five distinct ethnicgroups. The yagé culture preserves a comprehensiveset of shamanic practices, including the ritual use of theirsacred plant, yagé or ayahuasca (Banisteriopsis sp.),alongside a vast knowledge of the jungle and its medicinalplants. With the enthusiastic support of ethnobotanistMark Plotkin, one of Schultes’ dearest disciples and Presidentof The Amazon Conservation Team, we have implementeda program that seeks the protection, recuperationand strengthening of the indigenous cultures of the Amazonpiedmont. We believe that their knowledge and practices,as well as their shamanic systems, are extremelyimportant and useful for biodiversity conservation and forexpanding the scope of health models around the world.The diverse programs of the Amazon Conservation Teamhave a common objective: to engender a true interculturaldialogue between traditional indigenous knowledgeand Western science. Thus, our program in Colombia hasdeveloped an integrated strategy for biodiversity and culturalconservation that includes shamans and apprenticesprograms, construction of ceremonial houses, planting ofmedicinal gardens, sacred lands reclamation, ethno-educationand sustainable production projects, in each casein concordance with the shamans’ guidance. The culminationof our recent work was the historic gathering of fortyindigenous healers from 7 tribes across the ColombianAmazon, surviving practitioners of one of the last greatshamanic traditions. The participating elders producedthe first code of ethics of traditional medicine of the ColombianAmazon, which was published with the title “TheBeliefs of the Elders.”