By: Kathleen Maguire Kmae@AmazonMedicinals.com
Michael Sonn birthed the idea for Amazon Medicinals, years ago. Recently his idea created AmazonMedicinals.com, a website devoted to, among other things, conserving indigenous medicinal knowledge, known and practiced by many tribes through out Peru. After years of intense studying in a lineage of Amazonian Shamanic healers, Michael was encouraged to focus his efforts to help preserve this sacred indigenous knowledge. Amazon Medicinals is currently working with the Shipibo of Peru, importing their textiles and sustainably harvested Amazonian botanicals.
Due to factors such as globalization, referring to globalization as seeing the “third world” as infinite raw materials and cheap labor, oil companies are starting to take control of the Rainforest and its people’s. This environmental destruction only perpetuates a deeper reliance of the Natives upon the global market. Whereas much of the primary indigenous food and medicine are naturally growing in the jungle, these natives are being forced to cut down their forest, that they rely on in order to survive. These factors leave the native communities devastated.
Amazon Medicinal’s goals are many. To bring non-timber money to these natives, in exchange for their beautiful textiles which are enriched with their cultural beliefs. Amazon Medicinals is also promoting sustainable harvesting techniques of Amazonian botanicals. Michael and myself are also training with the Shipibo’s to learn about their healing plants and bringing these medicines to those who need them in the U.S. In a sense Amazon Medicinals is using capitalism in efforts to support ethical and fair trade.
Amazon Medicinals has literally created a market (a global market at that, because we are online) for these hand embroidered textiles. This market in turn is helping us to support ourselves and the Shipibo natives, while also fueling our ability to continue training with the Shipibo Shamans and Curanderas (healers). Our goal is to one day open a clinic in Paculpa Peru, were indigenous knowledge and wisdom can be recorded and taught, so that the natural remedies of the forest stay known.
Another rather large goal of ours is to promote intellectual property rights for the Shamans who lead us through the forest and teaches us about the healing plants. When Pharmaceutical companies obtain knowledge from these medicine men and wimyn and compensate them very little if at all. Both Michael and I see the Shamans we are working with as jungle doctors, many who have been trained in healing arts since birth. These jungle doctors deserve to be fairly compensated for the knowledge of the plants that they pass on to us.
We have had great success utilizing the local Arcata market, as well as selling our textiles and medicinal online. Ebay has been wonderful, so many people are shopping online these days, and people are very supportive of our cause. The Shipibo textiles we are importing are being sent to anthropology departments all over the globe, this is a blessing and we feel an awesome display of global capitalism. Our business is heavily reliant upon the internet for communication with our contacts in Peru. Michael is online much of the day, updating the website, responding to questions or comments about our site, and maintaining relationships with our Peruvian connections and employees. One large tactic that we have utilized is posting on various forums about our business and our mission. This brings like-minded individuals directly to our site, as we will post a link to Amazon Medicinals bellow our forum posting.
I have learned so much through starting this business with Michael. I know that many people could come to our site and learn about life of the Shipibo’s and more about the healing plants and techniques of these indigenous people.