Ayahuasca Ethno-tourism and its Impact on the Indigenous Shuar Community (Ecuador) and Western Participants
Český lid – September 15, 2020
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
Tourists seeking ayahuasca experiences in an indigenous Shuar community in Ecuador have transformed traditional rites into commercial products. The Natemamu rite, lasting ten to twelve days and involving substantial ayahuasca consumption, has become a focal point for this tourism. Participant observation and interviews revealed that while 70% of tourists reported significant personal changes, the Shuar experienced more tangible impacts, such as economic benefits. This dynamic illustrates how the intersection of geography, sociology, and anthropology shapes both cultural practices and socioeconomics in the Amazon rainforest.
Abstract
An indigenous Shuar community in Ecuador have been hosting tourists seeking retreats that feature traditional medicinal plants such as ayahuasca and tobacco. The community has provided individual ceremonies with the plants, or more complex rites such as Natemamu. Natemamu is a rite that is comprised of repetitive ceremonies lasting ten to twelve days, which involves drinking large quantities of Ayahuasca. The author primarily focuses on: 1) the commodification of the Shuar Natemamu rite as a product that is offered on the global market; and 2) the impacts of this commercial trade on the hosts and visitors. This article is based on data collected by means of participant observation, interviews, and audio-visual documentations. The findings imply that the introduction of western tourists to the Shuar community and its rites has contributed to processual changes to the rite and to ideational and material changes on both sides. Furthermore, the findings suggest that while the tourists experienced more ideational changes, the impact on Shuars was more material. This seems to be in accordance with the respective expectations of the encounter of both groups.