“The greatest and most endangered species in the Amazon rainforest is not the jaguar or the harpy eagle,” says ethnobotanist Mark Plotkin in this new TED Talk, “It’s the isolated and uncontacted tribes.” Plotkin goes on to describe the ancient knowledge of sacred plant medicine by indigenous tribes in the Amazon: the medicinal properties of a hallucinogenic frog, how a Shaman cured him of a bad leg where Western medicine failed, and illustrates with funny and fascinating anecdotes how crucial it is that we protect learn from these people and their immense knowledge.
This is an interesting, engaging and powerful TED talk which should be taken seriously by Western medicine and by all of us who care about the preservation of ancient habitats, customs and plant wisdom. If you would like to fight for the rights of tribal people, consider buying a gift from Survival International´s shop to support their crucial work with indigenous people all over the world.
