I have been drinking and studying ayahuasca for 26 years and also worked in Mexico for 8 years, where I dove into the worlds of peyote and mushroom. Further, I have been an academic researcher and political activist for 33 years. Through this journey, I have witnessed firsthand how psychedelic plant medicines became increasingly popular, and how people from the Global North traveled increasingly to the Global South, with our collective appetite for these experiences growing exponentially. However, there seems to be a kind of obsession with these plant medicines, a romanticization or even fetishization that does not match a wish to truly learn from the Indigenous people that have been using these plants since time immemorial. On the one hand, there seems to be a lack of interest in even getting to know these communities. On the other, there exists a sincere wish to try to do better but a lack of sense of what is the correct thing to do. In this talk, I will share some personal and professional reflections on how to connect with locals in respectful and mindful ways, such as: taking Indigenous claims on plant medicines seriously; learning about their culture and traditions; engaging in collaborative, horizontal and non-transactional relationships; supporting the political movements that these communities are involved, among others. I will further talk about Chacruna’s Indigenous Reciprocity Initiative of the Americas (IRI), which is a reflection of all of these considerations; our contribution to trying to support Indigenous-led initiatives, autonomy, and sovereignty. The talk will conclude by raising some political issues brought up by female Indigenous leader activists, and re-imagining a psychedelic renaissance that is truly co-created together with those who discovered these plant medicines and brought them to us.

Tobacco is one of the most prevalent, used, respected sacred plants among Indigenous and traditional peoples of the Americas. It can be used in a variety of ways. It can be smoked, and its smoke can be used for protection and healing breaths. It can also be consumed in the form of rapé snuff, among many other ways. Although the use of snuff is spreading rapidly around the world, it is important to remember that this is a traditional medicine, with different ways of preparation, different types of blowing, and different plants that can make up each recipe. In this conversation, we will talk about the traditional uses of tobacco and especially about the diversity of uses and the most appropriate and beneficial ways to use rapé snuff. We will also touch on the topic of the current explosion of rapé circles and “experts” around the West.

Chacruna is proud to provide a new offering for the psychedelic community, a direct contact with the universe of sacred plants, native people and their traditions that is sometimes overlooked in the global circuit of psychedelic conferences. With the blessings and permission of some of our partners in the Amazon, we bring traditional medicines and crafts to our table to help raise public awareness about the local uses and sociocultural aspects of sacred plants, as well as to honor Indigenous peoples and their traditions. Rapé snuff is a sacred medicine for several native peoples of the Brazilian and Western Amazon, used not only ritually but also on festive and social occasions.

Join the IRI research team for an in-depth look at the 36 different communities and projects involved in our grassroots network of 20 Indigenous community organizations in seven countries throughout the Americas. 

Join the Chacruna team and allies for an intimate conversation exploring the importance of merging missions to advance a collective vision for the future of psychedelic medicine—rooted in justice, equity, reciprocity, and community. Discover how you can partner with us to advance this mission, and connect with like-minded advocates, donors and other initiatives in the field. This exclusive, invite-only conversation aims to ignite inspiration and forge connections among diverse entities working across multiple disciplines in this field.

The use of the intellectual property (IP) system inside the psychedelics market is hotly debated. Critics of the IP system identify the colonial roots of IP, imposed through international trade agreements by countries in the Global North onto countries in the Global South.  Numerous examples of biopiracy and the expropriation of Indigenous knowledge by Global  North corporations underscore how IP can be used and abused inside the psychedelics market. This talk will critically examine the creation of intellectual property rights (e.g., pa tents, trademarks, copyright) and provide an overview of how intellectual property laws relate to sacred plants and the protection (and lack thereof) of Indigenous rights. Through historical examples, we will address issues surrounding implicit and explicit cultural and epistemological bias that undergird the formalization of intellectual property, especially as it pertains to “authorship,” “inventorship,” and patentable subject matter. The presentation  will then pivot to an overview and examination of how IP licensing has and can be used to  advance anti-colonial practice, to protect Indigenous rights, and to support alternative economic models such as commoning. 

Music, mindfulness and gratitude offers an opportunity to connect with oneself and practice the exercise of interbeing and connection with other human and non-human beings. Through a guided practice of meditation, sharing, and music, Chacruna invites you to take a few minutes out of your week to participate in a community experience of celebration and gratitude for life. The name of our circle is inspired by the notions of Sumak Kawsay and Bien Vivir of Indigenous peoples of South America. Kûara means sun in Tupi, an ancient Indigenous language that until the 19th century was the main language spoken in Brazil. Join us for this collective journey to promote a connection with our ancestral roots and the energy of the sun. Bright and positive, empowering us to have good thoughts and prosperity in our lives and relations.

Traditional Indigenous communities from South America have been using many plant medicines, such as ayahuasca (Nixi Pae), as a medicinal plant since time immemorial. Join this conversation with Yawa Bane to discuss various practices and traditions of the Huni Kuin.

Chacruna is proud to provide a new offering for the psychedelic community, a direct contact with the universe of sacred plants, native people and their traditions that is sometimes overlooked in the global circuit of psychedelic conferences. With the blessings and permission of some of our partners in the Amazon, we bring traditional medicines and crafts to our table to help raise public awareness about the local uses and sociocultural aspects of sacred plants, as well as to honor Indigenous peoples and their traditions. Rapé snuff is a sacred medicine for several native peoples of the Brazilian and Western Amazon, used not only ritually but also on festive and social occasions.

Brazil is one of the countries with a dynamic, hybrid and flourishing spirituality. Brazilian rites and traditions are immersed in a rich and diverse culture, which combines indigenous, African, European and caboclo (mestizo) rhythms in a unique way. In this circle, we perform spiritual songs of Brazilian origin, especially those related to the Huni Kuin people and to the Brazilian ayahuasca religions.

Join the Chacruna team and allies for an intimate conversation exploring the importance of merging missions to advance a collective vision for the future of psychedelic medicine—rooted in justice, equity, reciprocity, and community. Discover how you can partner with us to advance this mission, and connect with like-minded advocates, donors and other initiatives in the field. This exclusive, invite-only conversation aims to ignite inspiration and forge connections among diverse entities working across multiple disciplines in this field.

Join the Chacruna team and allies for an intimate conversation exploring the importance of merging missions to advance a collective vision for the future of psychedelic medicine—rooted in justice, equity, reciprocity, and community. Discover how you can partner with us to advance this mission, and connect with like-minded advocates, donors and other initiatives in the field. This exclusive, invite-only conversation aims to ignite inspiration and forge connections among diverse entities working across multiple disciplines in this field.

Tobacco is one of the most prevalent, used, respected sacred plants among Indigenous and traditional peoples of the Americas. It can be used in a variety of ways. It can be smoked, and its smoke can be used for protection and healing breaths. It can also be consumed in the form of rapé snuff, among many other ways. Although the use of snuff is spreading rapidly around the world, it is important to remember that this is a traditional medicine, with different ways of preparation, different types of blowing, and different plants that can make up each recipe. In this conversation, we will talk about the traditional uses of tobacco and especially about the diversity of uses and the most appropriate and beneficial ways to use rapé snuff. We will also touch on the topic of the current explosion of rapé circles and “experts” around the West.

Chacruna is proud to provide a new offering for the psychedelic community, a direct contact with the universe of sacred plants, native people and their traditions that is sometimes overlooked in the global circuit of psychedelic conferences. With the blessings and permission of some of our partners in the Amazon, we bring traditional medicines and crafts to our table to help raise public awareness about the local uses and sociocultural aspects of sacred plants, as well as to honor Indigenous peoples and their traditions. Rapé snuff is a sacred medicine for several native peoples of the Brazilian and Western Amazon, used not only ritually but also on festive and social occasions.

Music, mindfulness and gratitude offers an opportunity to connect with oneself and practice the exercise of interbeing and connection with other human and non-human beings. Through a guided practice of meditation, sharing, and music, Chacruna invites you to take a few minutes out of your week to participate in a community experience of celebration and gratitude for life. The name of our circle is inspired by the notions of Sumak Kawsay and Bien Vivir of Indigenous peoples of South America. Kûara means sun in Tupi, an ancient Indigenous language that until the 19th century was the main language spoken in Brazil. Join us for this collective journey to promote a connection with our ancestral roots and the energy of the sun. Bright and positive, empowering us to have good thoughts and prosperity in our lives and relations.

Brazil is one of the countries with a dynamic, hybrid and flourishing spirituality. Brazilian rites and traditions are immersed in a rich and diverse culture, which combines indigenous, African, European and caboclo (mestizo) rhythms in a unique way. In this circle, we perform spiritual songs of Brazilian origin, especially those related to the Huni Kuin people and to the Brazilian ayahuasca religions.

Join the Chacruna team and allies for an intimate conversation exploring the importance of merging missions to advance a collective vision for the future of psychedelic medicine—rooted in justice, equity, reciprocity, and community. Discover how you can partner with us to advance this mission, and connect with like-minded advocates, donors and other initiatives in the field. This exclusive, invite-only conversation aims to ignite inspiration and forge connections among diverse entities working across multiple disciplines in this field.

At the dawn of the third decade of the 21st century, psychedelics are increasingly in the mainstream of Western society. International conferences, scientific research, international philanthropic organizations, urban shamanic networks, and psychonauts are more interested than ever in the therapeutic, artistic, philosophical, and spiritual potentials of sacred plants. In this global panorama of circulation of substances, people, and knowledge, it is important to note that a good part of the sacred plants and animals that move these networks originate in the territories and traditional knowledge of the people of the Amazon forest. Noticing the exchanges, noises, problems of translation, and possibilities arising from this relationship between the forest and the city are important aspects for reflection in order to build the psychedelic renaissance in a way that values traditional knowledge.

This session will discuss the historical and contemporary perceptions of Indigenous people in the so-called “United States” among the psychedelic movement. Join in as we openly discuss, dissect and debunk misrepresentations of Indigenous people and explore the resilience of  Tribal Nations and their members to create healthy socioecological systems within their respective families and communities. We will explore Indigenous rights and social justice through historical and modern dimensions of colonization on Indigenous systems of life. We will discuss how Indigenous peoples strategize and work toward equal access and human

This presentation will address natural history and urgent conservation issues around four  naturally occurring psychedelic plant and animal medicines: peyote, iboga, ayahuasca vine, and Sonoran Desert toad. This is particularly important, as we are living through the psychedelic renaissance, when more and more people are turning to psychedelic medicines for  healing, and the political climate is changing with decriminalization. At the same time, these  plants and toads are facing threats from climate change, habitat loss, and other anthropogenic pressures, like overharvesting. There is not much reliable information on the conservation of naturally occurring psychedelics. In this lecture, published data about conservation and ecology of sacred medicines will be woven together and critically analyzed so as  to raise awareness of the conservation needs of each of these species. Potential solutions or  risk mitigation measures will be presented and applied on a case-by-case basis. The importance of supporting Indigenous and local communities in their efforts to protect the land  and biodiversity will be emphasized. 

This talk looks at the use of “reciprocity” in response to the colonial structures of increasingly globalized plant medicine spaces and evaluates Chacruna’s Indigenous Reciprocity Initiative as a new grassroots model that confronts the disempowering dynamics of conventional philanthropy, focusing on community autonomy in a psychedelic ecosystem consisting of diverse ontological frameworks.

Chacruna is proud to provide a new offering for the psychedelic community, a direct contact with the universe of sacred plants, native people and their traditions that is sometimes overlooked in the global circuit of psychedelic conferences. With the blessings and permission of some of our partners in the Amazon, we bring traditional medicines and crafts to our table to help raise public awareness about the local uses and sociocultural aspects of sacred plants, as well as to honor Indigenous peoples and their traditions. Rapé snuff is a sacred medicine for several native peoples of the Brazilian and Western Amazon, used not only ritually but also on festive and social occasions.

Join the Chacruna team and allies for an intimate conversation exploring the importance of merging missions to advance a collective vision for the future of psychedelic medicine—rooted in justice, equity, reciprocity, and community. Discover how you can partner with us to advance this mission, and connect with like-minded advocates, donors and other initiatives in the field. This exclusive, invite-only conversation aims to ignite inspiration and forge connections among diverse entities working across multiple disciplines in this field.

Join the Chacruna team and allies for an intimate conversation exploring the importance of merging missions to advance a collective vision for the future of psychedelic medicine—rooted in justice, equity, reciprocity, and community. Discover how you can partner with us to advance this mission, and connect with like-minded advocates, donors and other initiatives in the field. This exclusive, invite-only conversation aims to ignite inspiration and forge connections among diverse entities working across multiple disciplines in this field.

Tobacco is one of the most prevalent, used, respected sacred plants among Indigenous and traditional peoples of the Americas. It can be used in a variety of ways. It can be smoked, and its smoke can be used for protection and healing breaths. It can also be consumed in the form of rapé snuff, among many other ways. Although the use of snuff is spreading rapidly around the world, it is important to remember that this is a traditional medicine, with different ways of preparation, different types of blowing, and different plants that can make up each recipe. In this conversation, we will talk about the traditional uses of tobacco and especially about the diversity of uses and the most appropriate and beneficial ways to use rapé snuff. We will also touch on the topic of the current explosion of rapé circles and “experts” around the West.

Chacruna is proud to provide a new offering for the psychedelic community, a direct contact with the universe of sacred plants, native people and their traditions that is sometimes overlooked in the global circuit of psychedelic conferences. With the blessings and permission of some of our partners in the Amazon, we bring traditional medicines and crafts to our table to help raise public awareness about the local uses and sociocultural aspects of sacred plants, as well as to honor Indigenous peoples and their traditions. Rapé snuff is a sacred medicine for several native peoples of the Brazilian and Western Amazon, used not only ritually but also on festive and social occasions.

Ayahuasca for my people brings an opening of knowledge, wisdom, and spirituality in our tradition and culture. Ayahuasca brings our consciousness, our awakening about the forest, about the world of cosmology, geometry, and of the Kene and Boa. Join this conversation to discuss ayahuasca practices and traditions of the Huni Kuin.

Join the Chacruna team and allies for an intimate conversation exploring the importance of merging missions to advance a collective vision for the future of psychedelic medicine—rooted in justice, equity, reciprocity, and community. Discover how you can partner with us to advance this mission, and connect with like-minded advocates, donors and other initiatives in the field. This exclusive, invite-only conversation aims to ignite inspiration and forge connections among diverse entities working across multiple disciplines in this field.

We invite the public to learn more about our main programs, including: Education; Indigenous Reciprocity; Protection of Sacred Plants and Cultural Traditions; and Psychedelic Justice, so that we can explore the importance of the younger generation’s leadership, our commitment to social justice, and in keeping pace with what is happening in the world. We will give some insights into all that goes on behind the scenes when working on these projects, the importance of social media, how to increase our audience and deal with toxicity online. We will further explore how Chacruna is trying to be an organization that ‘walks the talk’, and engages in strong intergenerational dialogue. We are committed to team building, collective action, drinking sacred plants together, tabling in conferences, being curious and open to different kinds of leaders in the field, and joining our own courses and community forums to keep on developing and flourishing both intellectually and as full humans. Many young people are looking for guidance on how to get involved in the psychedelic field and find the best, equitable, and fitting programs to fit their interests and focus of study. Given that we promote cutting edge content, and have a strong pool of experts, and work in collaboration with many leading organizations and experts in this field, we can provide many valuable resources, as well as answer any questions or concerns they may have. We hope that you can join us in this important conversation and learn more about our challenges as an organization, from fundraising to facilitating conversations on controversial topics as psychedelics go mainstream.

Music, mindfulness and gratitude offers an opportunity to connect with oneself and practice the exercise of interbeing and connection with other human and non-human beings. Through a guided practice of meditation, sharing, and music, Chacruna invites you to take a few minutes out of your week to participate in a community experience of celebration and gratitude for life. The name of our circle is inspired by the notions of Sumak Kawsay and Bien Vivir of Indigenous peoples of South America. Kûara means sun in Tupi, an ancient Indigenous language that until the 19th century was the main language spoken in Brazil. Join us for this collective journey to promote a connection with our ancestral roots and the energy of the sun. Bright and positive, empowering us to have good thoughts and prosperity in our lives and relations.

Brazil is one of the countries with a dynamic, hybrid and flourishing spirituality. Brazilian rites and traditions are immersed in a rich and diverse culture, which combines indigenous, African, European and caboclo (mestizo) rhythms in a unique way. In this circle, we perform spiritual songs of Brazilian origin, especially those related to the Huni Kuin people and to the Brazilian ayahuasca religions.

Participate in a discussion and Q&A session on Plant Medicine and Reciprocity with Chacruna’s team from the US and the Global South for a broader perspective on the decolonial work of our program.

This presentation will offer a balance of the legal, social, and cultural issues of the plant  medicine community in the US. We will explore Chacruna’s Council for the Protection of  Sacred Plants work on multiple fronts. This includes: promoting legal harm reduction  around the use of sacred plants; issuing public warnings about law enforcement tendencies;  monitoring the legal developments involving ayahuasca churches religious exemptions requests (such as Soul Quest’s, NAAVC and others); the creation of the Guide to RFRA and  Best Practices for Psychedelic Plant Medicine Churches; providing spiritual, emotional, and legal support and resources for folks facing legal encounters with law enforcement;  supporting the incubation of the Sacred Plant Alliance (SPA, an association of psychedelic  churches focused on self-regulation and accountability); supporting the Church of the Eagle and the Condor fundraising and FOIA requests to the DEA and Customs and Border  Protection (including findings that there were 210 ayahuasca seizures in 2020); creating  awareness and platforming Native Americans’ voices regarding ayahuasca and peyote regulatory policies and issues around decriminalization, conservation, and cultural appropriation; legal analyses on decriminalization initiatives across the country (such as California,  Oregon, Colorado, Connecticut, Texas, and Washington); reflections on “patenting the sacred” and a publication on psychedelic commons guidelines; and supporting the religious  and communal use of psilocybin in Oregon under Measure 109. We will conclude by outlining some challenges that remain ahead for the plant medicine community and its advocates. It is hoped that this presentation will help create critical reflections around the medicalization, commodification, and globalization of Indigenous plant medicines. 

Chacruna is proud to provide a new offering for the psychedelic community, a direct contact with the universe of sacred plants, native people and their traditions that is sometimes overlooked in the global circuit of psychedelic conferences. With the blessings and permission of some of our partners in the Amazon, we bring traditional medicines and crafts to our table to help raise public awareness about the local uses and sociocultural aspects of sacred plants, as well as to honor Indigenous peoples and their traditions. Rapé snuff is a sacred medicine for several native peoples of the Brazilian and Western Amazon, used not only ritually but also on festive and social occasions.

Join the Chacruna team and allies for an intimate conversation exploring the importance of merging missions to advance a collective vision for the future of psychedelic medicine—rooted in justice, equity, reciprocity, and community. Discover how you can partner with us to advance this mission, and connect with like-minded advocates, donors and other initiatives in the field. This exclusive, invite-only conversation aims to ignite inspiration and forge connections among diverse entities working across multiple disciplines in this field.