Interweaving the work of ethnobotanists Richard Evans Schultes and Mark J. Plotkin, studying Amazon cultures, this film explores the entire field of ethnobotany, focusing particularly on traditional medicine, shamanism and on the search for new medicinal compounds among indigenous tribes.

Synopsis and Review

An ardent and dramatic presentation, this film is inspired by Plotkin’s book of the same name. Interspersed with the work of Richard Evans Schultes and the history of ethnobotany, it tells the story of Plotkin’s time studying traditional medicine with the Tirio and Maroon communities of Suriname. Doing so, it shows the disappearance of traditional medicinal knowledge and illustrates the importance of preserving this knowledge for the future of both the local community and for Western society as a whole.

Most of Plotkin’s work centres on ethnomedicine, emphasising traditional medicine and shamanism. This may make the film’s focus seem too narrow to those aware of the diverse nature of ethnobotany and ethnoecology. But, the film does manage to touch, if only momentarily, on most contemporary issues in ethnobotany, including traditional ecological knowledge and its transmission, biopiracy, bioprospecting, and biocultural diversity. Plotkin’s pioneering Shaman’s Apprentice programme, created with the local community to counter the loss of traditional medicinal knowledge, is an excellent example of applied ethnobotany. Much as flagship species are used in wildlife conservation, Plotkin often uses “medicine hunting” to illustrate the importance of preserving cultural knowledge and landscapes. In the end though, he makes clear that his overall goal is to preserve culture for its own sake and to “help indigenous communities to have control over their own destiny”.

Prepared by Erin Smith