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THE LIVING FOREST
Discover the ancient wisdom of the Matsés, a semi-nomadic tribe in the Peruvian Amazon. The Matsés' spiritual beliefs, rooted in animism and shamanism, honor the spirits inhabiting the natural world, including plants, animals, and celestial bodies. Viewing the rainforest itself as a living entity with its own spirit, the Matsés have cultivated a deep and comprehensive understanding of the rainforest’s biodiversity and plant medicines over many generations.
PRESERVATION
This reverence also guides their traditional, eco-conscious practices in hunting, fishing, rotational farming, and sustainable resource management.
Despite facing threats from deforestation and modernization, the Matsés, in collaboration with partners like the nonprofit Acaté Amazon Conservation (a Sacred Seeds collaborator), actively work to preserve their traditional way of life.
PLANT MEDICINE
Acaté recently played a pivotal role in facilitating the creation of a comprehensive encyclopedia of rainforest medicines, documented in the Matsés’ own language. As such, Acaté offers a blueprint for how nonprofits can best align their operations with the needs and values of the Indigenous communities they aim to support.
