Page 34 - Demo

34Chiribiquete%u2019s majestuc tepuy emerge from pristine and verdant green jungle named the Caqueta Moist forest. These lowlands have one of the highest rates of plant diversity in the northern Amazonia. Scattered forests grow interspersed with scrub on the slopes and summit of the rocky outcrops which dominate savannah species native to Guyana. It is this extensive plant diversity which provides the Carijona (as other local indigenous peoples) with such a rich cultural tradition of ethnobotany; made all the more famous by Richard Schultes when he visited the area in the 1940s.The early training of a new shamanic apprentice lasts anywhere from a few months to several years. In addition to a thorough knowledge of history and culture, vital preparation includes learning about the sacred traditions, rituals, and spiritual practices of the Carijona. Apprentices begin by assisting experienced shamans, observing ceremonies, and participating in community rituals. Crucially, they also start to learn about botany, sacred chants, and the symbolic meanings behind various spiritual practices.Perhaps the most important subject on any shamanic apprentice%u2019s curriculum is that of medicinal plants. Their use is historical, cultural and remains scientifically significant today. Botanical collecting and ministration can be seen amongst the paintings of Chiribiquete...as can some of their results, if the repeating spirals and abstract shapes relate to hallucinogenic effects.Treating both mind and body, the Carijona%u2019s expertise of medicinal plants goes back thousands of years, and expands with each generation. Each shaman%u2019s botanical and curative knowledge, as well as the preparations and practices required to apply this wisdom, is compared to a library. As we discover more diseases, and as infectious agents evolve and adapt, global society continues to looks to nature%u2019s bounty for answers. With so many existing and emerging medicines already originated from nature, the biodiversity of tropical rainforests potentially holds the solutions to many different threats to our health, both now and in the future.MEDICINAL PLANTSThe 3rd InstarThe caterpillars have unique ways to defend themselves from predators. Coloration at each stage provides them with camouflage.