Defending our medicine, our knowledge and our biodiversity
Ambi waska, the knowledge of the wise elders and the life of the forest are not commodities.
What we defend
Ambi waska, yagé, guides the decisions of the Inga People and heals their communities. In the territory there are conflicts over its commercial extraction, above all with tourists, and over the use of our knowledge without permission. Sacred sites, such as Atun Uritu Salado, are also viewed as tourist destinations and as conservation areas decided from outside.
We maintain that no one should profit from the medicine, the knowledge or the biodiversity of the forest without the consent of our authorities.
We have done so before: in 2016 a scientific expedition in Putumayo was postponed after the Inga People rejected its implementation without consultation, because Atun Uritu Salado is an Inga sacred site (Catorce6, 31 May 2016).
Our norm
- The Mandate of the Elders Suma Kausangapa (updated on 4 May 2024) prohibits offering ambi waska without the consent of the authorities and of the recognised Iacha Sinchi, «in order to guarantee the proper use and conservation of knowledge».
- The Regulations of the Reserve (7 December 2024) prohibit research studies by external entities, green markets, external technological monitoring and the use of the Reserve's name without the consensus of the Minga.
In the face of what
The commercial use of our medicine, our knowledge and biodiversity without the consent of our authorities.
Those who stand with us and those we hold to account
| Struggle | Stand with us | We hold to account / in relation to |
|---|---|---|
| B2Medicine and biodiversity | — | Our own position, without named actors |
ally stands with us body accompanying entity we hold to account company or entity to which we address a demand backed by public evidence. Tap each one to see what we demand, since when, and the evidence.