Indigenous-Led Plant Medicine Science Program

Ancestral Knowledge, Intercultural Ethics and Plants as Teachers This module introduces participants to the cosmological and ethical frameworks that guide Indigenous approaches to health, knowledge, and relationship with the natural world. Through study, reflection, and dialogue with Indigenous knowledge holders, participants learn to recognize plants as teachers and guardians of collective memory, engaging with dieta, ancestral communication, and the ethical principles that underlie all ceremonial and research practices. The module bridges Western scientific ethics with ancestral mandates of harmony and guardianship, cultivating an intercultural understanding of reciprocity, protection, and preparation in the context of Indigenous-led science. 1. Plants as Teachers Understanding plants not as substances but as guides and guardians of collective memory Building relationships with plant intelligence and ecological consciousness 2. Dieta and Allied Plants Bodily and spiritual preparation through dieta and allied plants Learning their language, song, and medicine qualities 3. Ancestral Communication Chants, music, dreams, symbols, and prayers as pathways of transmission Honoring oral and embodied ways of knowing 4. Ancient and Genetic Memory How plant medicine awakens deep memory processes—spiritual and biological Remembering as healing: personal, collective, and ecological restoration 5. Health and Illness in the Indigenous Worldview Understanding imbalance and healing as relational processes Yagé as integral medicine: harmonizing mind, body, and spirit 6. Plural Epistemologies Western scientific ethics ↔ ancestral mandates of harmony and guardianship Intercultural dialogue and the co-creation of ethical knowledge frameworks 7. Protection and Safeguarding Laws, practices, and current efforts to protect ancestral medicine and knowledge Ethics of consent, guardianship, and cultural continuity 8. Preparation as Ceremony Readiness for knowledge that speaks through images, memory, and stillness The researcher’s and participant’s inner preparation as a ceremonial act ~ Outcome Formation of intercultural ethical protocols that integrate dieta, cosmology and ancestral communication as the foundation for research, collaboration, and reciprocal engagement with Indigenous plant knowledge systems.

Ceremony as Research and the Ecology of Collective Healing This immersion provides a direct experience of Yagé as integral medicine, exploring how ceremony, ecology, and community intertwine as living systems of knowledge. Participants engage in observed participation within traditional Yagé rituals, guided reflection with Indigenous leaders, and collaborative learning within the Amazonian landscape. The immersion emphasizes ceremony as a mode of inquiry—where transformation, observation, and dialogue become pathways to understanding health, balance, and relationship. Through ecological awareness and community exchange, students deepen their recognition of the territory as both teacher and healer. 1. Ceremony as Research Observed participation in Yagé rituals as a process of experiential inquiry Guided reflection led by Indigenous knowledge holders and elders 2. Documented Transformations Observation of physical, mental, and emotional shifts: memory, perception, and embodiment Approaches to self- and group documentation within ethical frameworks 3. Ecology of Health The Amazonian territory as a space for knowledge conservation and collective healing Interconnection of environment, community, and spiritual ecology 4. Elements of the Spirit Water, air, fire, and earth as forces of balance and learning Working with elemental symbolism in ceremonial and ecological contexts 5. Community Dialogues Intergenerational circles on medicine, peace, environment, and social healing Collective reflection on reciprocity, coexistence, and the future of Indigenous-led science ~ Outcome Development of an experiential and ecological understanding of Yagé, integrating ceremonial participation, ecological consciousness, and community dialogue as interdependent dimensions of research and healing.

Weaving Knowledge into Practice and Social Transformation This module brings together the personal, scientific, and ancestral learnings developed throughout the program. Participants engage in intercultural integration processes, applied research, and community collaboration to translate insight into ethical and transformative action. Guided by principles of reciprocity and guardianship, the module emphasizes knowledge application as ceremony—a living continuation of learning that honors both Indigenous wisdom and contemporary research practices. Through project work, reflection, and co-creation, participants explore how ancestral frameworks can inform new approaches in health, ecology, and education. 1. Intercultural Integration Remote and in-person discussions weaving together personal, scientific, and ancestral perspectives Reflective synthesis of field experiences, mentorship, and self-study 2. Applied Projects Documentation of songs, limpias (cleansing ceremonies), conservation practices, and ceremonial health frameworks Collaborative development of applied research outputs in dialogue with Indigenous mentors 3. Knowledge Guardianship Ethical publication, authorship, and data sovereignty Preventing extractivism through consent-based, community-driven research methodologies 4. Social and Scientific Transformation Applying ancestral principles—harmony, evolution, and guardianship—to reimagine frameworks in health, psychology, and education Building pathways for intercultural collaboration and systemic change 5. Environmental Conservation Practices Yagé cultivation, forest restoration, and biocultural stewardship as acts of planetary healing Ecological reciprocity and the ethics of care in environmental practice ~ Outcome Creation of co-authored articles, reports, and tools applicable in clinical, academic, ecological, and community contexts—embodying the program’s vision of reciprocal, Indigenous-led science as a transformative practice.