The Beliefs of the Elders

CODE OF ETHICS FOR INDIGENOUS MEDICINE OF THE COLOMBIAN AMAZON

Brief Introduction

This exceptional document has presented a number of challenges in its transcription into Spanish and English. Its words come from remote cultures within the rain forest and are the result of a series of ceremonies filled with an unending swirl of words, music, feathers and colors. It is no secret that the indigenous peoples of the Colombian Amazon have been experiencing one of the most destructive periods in their history. The loss of their territories and culture are hastened even further by the escalating armed conflict and the preponderance of illicit crops, which are destroying the forest at a frightening pace.

Yet, despite these many challenges, the native peoples of this extraordinary region still survive. They have even managed to keep their mysterious and rich wisdom, accumulated over generations of close contact with nature and through their communication with the invisible world, thanks to their reverential use of their sacred plant: the Yagé (the Vision Vine).

Convinced that survival is only possible if they work together, these people have decided to create the Union of Yagé Healers of the Colombian Amazon (Unión de Médicos Indígenas Yageceros de la Amazonía Colombiana - UMIYAC) to defend and preserve their medicine, their territories and their forest.

In June of 1999, when they celebrated the historic Gathering of the Shamans, few suspected their determination to seize control of their collective destiny. It was during this meeting that they joined forces for the difficult task of creating the Code of Ethics for the Indigenous Medicine of the Colombian Amazon.

With this document, ACT hopes to provide a voice for these communities so that they can begin to be heard by the outside world. This Medical Code of Ethics offers two great challenges. For the Indians, it represents a commitment they are undertaking to heal, purify and protect both their heritage and their medicine. For the "western" perspective, it represents an opportunity to engage in an authentic dialogue with other cultures in reference to sciences and belief systems.

With good reason, the Indigenous participants have called this extraordinary document The Beliefs of the Elders.

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