and aggressiveness are eliminated during this ritual, which is of great
importance to the ethnic group.
Examples of traditional medicines used in ritualistic
practice
By agreement of the sabedoreswe are able to present photographs of plant
and animal medicines, examples of their identification, preparation and use,
and explanations as given by the sabedores. Each sabedor gave his or her
permission to take the necessary photographs and include them together
with their healing knowledge.
Ambil(tobacco)
Preparation
Figure 4.3 shows a tobacco plant (Nicotiana tabacum L.).The leaves are
collected from traditional indigenous gardens or farms known as chagras
where edible, ritual and medicinal plants are cultivated and cooked in water
for at least 24 hours until the volume has reduced to a minimum.
Figure 4.4 shows Sabedor Oscar Román Enokaai cooking tobacco leaves
in the preparation of ambil. Juice from maraca viche, a forest fruit, is mixed
Traditional medicine used in the Colombian Amazon forest | 71Figure 4.2 Uitoto ritual dance, Caquéta medio, Amazonas, Colombia, 25 January 1992.