On 24 October I will speak at the Spirit Plant Medicine in Vancouver with DR. Rene Susa on the ethics of engagements with Indigenous medicines.

Entheogenic responsibilities: Indigenous calls for accountability

This presentation shares concerns raised in the network “Teia das 5 Curas” about spiritual bypassing in psychedelic communities in the West. “Teia das 5 Curas” is a network of Indigenous communities in Latin America that is working in partnership with researchers at UBC on projects related to cognitive, affective, relational, economic and ecological healing and wellbeing.

The Indigenous healers, pajés and leaders that are part of the network have repeatedly raised questions about how entheogenic practices have been largely used in the West for individuals to access personal power or self-actualization, rather than to mobilize political and existential responsibility towards the planet and accountability towards Indigenous peoples, who have been the guardians of the medicines.

Thes presentation offers a brief summary of these conversations in our network so far. These conversations call for a recognition of our complicity in racial and colonial violence, for non-extractive relations with Indigenous communities, and for entheogenic practices that can move us from the expansion of individualistic entitlements towards visceral responsibility.

https://spiritplantmedicine.com/cash-ahenakew/