Conference Review: Notes on the “International Congress of Traditional Medicine, Interculturality, and Mental Health,” Takiwasi Center, Tarapoto, Peru, June 7–10, 20091
Anthropology of Consciousness March 1, 2010 DOI: 10.1111/j.1556-3537.2010.01019.x (opens in new tab) via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA recent international congress in the Peruvian Amazon brought together 218 researchers, indigenous representatives, and religious leaders from 22 countries to discuss the globalization and biomedicalization of indigenous medical practices, particularly ayahuasca-based therapy and religion. The event featured scientific discussions, political and ethical debates, and nonacademic sessions including Inca chiropractics and ayahuasca ceremonies. Tragic events in nearby Bagua, Peru, lent urgency to the congress's focus on indigenous cultural heritage. The author interviewed key attendees and reports on several controversies in the field of traditional medicine and ayahuasca.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Conference report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 218 |
| Population | Researchers and indigenous and religious representatives |
| Topics | Ayahuasca |
| Keywords | Indigenous Interculturality Mental health Politics |
| Citations | 4 |
| Key finding | The congress highlighted controversies and political urgency surrounding the global expansion of indigenous medical practices, especially ayahuasca therapy. |
Abstract
ABSTRACT English translation by Glenn H. Shepard Jr. Revision by Matthew Meyer This article reports on the recent “International Congress of Traditional Medicine, Interculturality, and Mental Health” held by the Takiwasi Center in Tarapoto in the Peruvian Amazon. The event united 218 researchers and indigenous and religious representatives from 22 countries to present results of scientific discussions and engage in political and ethical debates surrounding the increasingly globalized, transnational, and biomedicalized reach of indigenous medical practices, especially ayahuasca‐based therapy and religious practice. The author interviewed several key researchers and representatives present at the event, and presents several important controversies in the field of ayahuasca and traditional medicine. She also reports on the colorful and eclectic nonacademic sessions at the event which included Inca chiropractics, ayahuasca sessions, and various forms of indigenous medicine. The text also reflects on the tragic events that unfolded in nearby Bagua, Peru, on the evening of the meeting, bringing a special urgency to the event's focus on indigenous cultural heritage.