Ayahuasca Religions in Acre: Cultural Heritage in the Brazilian Borderlands
Anthropology of Consciousness March 1, 2012 DOI: 10.1111/j.1556-3537.2012.01058.x (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Historical analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Ayahuasca |
| Keywords | Legitimacy Amazon rainforest Politics Government linguistics State computer science Cultural heritage Ethnology Environmental ethics Anthropology Archaeology Law Ecology |
| Citations | 21 |
| Key points | Argues that the pursuit of formal recognition has led ayahuasca religions to actively select symbolic and historical elements, reconfigure political alliances, and recast origin stories as ayahuasca transforms from a dangerous drug to state and national heritage. |
Abstract
Abstract The B razilian ayahuasca religions, S anto D aime, B arquinha, and U nião do V egetal, have increasingly sought formal recognition by government agencies in B razil and other countries to guarantee their legal use of ayahuasca, which contains DMT , a substance that is listed. This article focuses on new alliances and rifts that have emerged between and among different ayahuasca groups as they have sought and in some cases achieved formal recognition and legitimacy at the state and national levels in B razil and abroad. It presents a historical overview of the origin of the main ayahuasca religions, and their connections to the A mazon region and the state of A cre in particular, where the political environment has facilitated petitions seeking the elevation of ayahuasca as cultural and historical heritage in A cre and B razil. This process has resulted in the active selection of certain symbolic, cultural, and historical elements and subtle changes in the ways various ayahuasca groups represent themselves in the public sphere. It also resulted in the reconfiguration of political alliances and a recasting of the historical facts regarding origins. The article reflects on notions of origin, place, authenticity, and tradition throughout the ongoing transformation of ayahuasca from “dangerous drug” to state and national heritage.