The Amazon Rainforest holds thousands of plant species we in modern day Western Medicine are just beginning to discover.

Much of the knowledge of the inner workings and medicinal properties of the rainforest has been well known by the Elders, Shamans, Medicine Men/Women for centuries. Over time the Amazon Natives have accumulated years of knowledge of the intricate botanical plant system readily available to them. They already knew about the miraculous benefits of the plants growing all around them long before modern day man.

The Amazon Natives recognize and understand that the Rainforest is a complex interconnected web of life and delicate environments, which have been evolving for millions of years. Everything the Amazon Natives have ever needed has been provided to them in natural renewable resources from the Rainforest. This is exactly why the Rainforest is more valuable alive and green than cut down or burned; it should be nourished, protected and allowed to flourish.

That being said, if we choose to go into the forest, it must be done with the utmost care and understanding. To use the forest for medicinal values should be done with respect, not over harvested or exploited, and to protect the tribes living with in the forest. After all, the natives are the ones who hold the knowledge of these miraculous plants.

Consequently, nowadays with much deforestation, Amazon Natives land and way of life is being destroyed. Knowledge that is shared and passed down is slowly drifting further from their culture. With the passing of each Elder/Shaman, many valuable botanical insights, healing rituals, and medicinal knowledge is slowly lost in the passing down to the children, who are growing distant of their cultural ways.

But there is a group working towards saving the knowledge of the Elders and Shamans: The Amazon Conservation Team. They help by working with the tribes Elders and Children to educate and build strong relationships. The children are our future for education on the land.

By creating a Shaman Apprentice program from the help of a grant from Natures Path Cereal, the Amazon Conservation Team is helping to make sure the vast knowledge of medicinal plants, healing rituals, and culture will be handed down to the children. Each Elder of the many different tribes have valuable information and by keeping these Rainforests and indigenous peoples culture/environment intact, the information will be able to be passed down from generation to generation.

As the culture and environment is protected and sustained, those living amongst it can create a source of renewable income. Who better to work with the harvesting of the land than the people who are most familiar with it?

By
Jennifer Hoedel
Rain Tees Contributor

*Sources: Rainforest Facts and Shaman Apprentice Program the Amazon Conservation Team

Jennifer currently resides in creative beautiful Portland, Oregon where she is an artist of her cute maternity line MammaBellyLoveDesigns, a mommy of two, and an esthetician. Born and raised in Alaska, she loves and respects nature and finds true inspiration from it. While pregnant with her first child, she became very aware of the environment and what we put into our bodies and the mother earth. While browsing through a magazine at a health food store she discovered a really cool write up on Rain Tees and loved it! She had to support their cause right away and has been in touch ever since! She enjoys sharing the word of Rain Tees and contributing whenever she can.