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| BELIEFS OF THE ELDERS |   CODE OF ETHICS FOR INDIGENOUS MEDICINE OF THE COLOMBIAN AMAZON by the Union of Yage' Healers of the Columbian Amazon (UMIYAC) 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). While written specifically by Healers of the Columbian Amazon, This document presents important basic truths and ethical pricipals, not just for traditional healers in general, but for all of those who wish to involve themselves in any kind of healing, be it biomedical (conventional), alternative, traditional or integrative; as well as those who would attempt to do research into those areas. The Yage' used by these particular healers is a powerful spiritual tool, and (as all psychoactive substances) particularly easy to misuse, so perhaps its practioners have had to articulate their ethics to prevent rampant misuse. It may also be that the yage' itself has had particularly strong ethical teachings to impart as a basic element of the lessons that it offers to humans. PART I PART II More about this important document can be found at: (http://www.amazonteam.org/elders.html) The booklet can be ordered from the Amazon Conservation Team 4211 N. Fairfax Drive Arlington, VA 22203 Tel: 703-522-4684 Fax: 703-522-4464 and Donations can be made to them directly by going to their page at: (http://www.amazonteam.org/donate.html) http://tinyurl.com/5sbvd |
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