Ayahuasca Religions in Acre: Cultural Heritage in the Brazilian Borderlands

Brazilian ayahuasca religions—Santo Daime, Barquinha, and União do Vegetal—have pursued formal recognition from government agencies to secure legal use of ayahuasca, which contains the listed substance DMT. This article examines new alliances and rifts among these groups as they seek legitimacy at state and national levels in Brazil and abroad. It provides a historical overview of the religions' origins, especially their ties to the Amazon region and Acre state, where political conditions supported petitions to recognize ayahuasca as cultural heritage. This process has led to selective emphasis on certain symbolic and historical elements, shifts in public self-representation, and reconfiguration of political alliances, recasting origin narratives. The article reflects on how ayahuasca transforms from 'dangerous drug' to heritage.

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Abstract

Abstract The B razilian ayahuasca religions, S anto D aime, B arquinha, and U nião do V egetal, have increasingly sought formal recognition by government agencies in B razil and other countries to guarantee their legal use of ayahuasca, which contains DMT , a substance that is listed. This article focuses on new alliances and rifts that have emerged between and among different ayahuasca groups as they have sought and in some cases achieved formal recognition and legitimacy at the state and national levels in B razil and abroad. It presents a historical overview of the origin of the main ayahuasca religions, and their connections to the A mazon region and the state of A cre in particular, where the political environment has facilitated petitions seeking the elevation of ayahuasca as cultural and historical heritage in A cre and B razil. This process has resulted in the active selection of certain symbolic, cultural, and historical elements and subtle changes in the ways various ayahuasca groups represent themselves in the public sphere. It also resulted in the reconfiguration of political alliances and a recasting of the historical facts regarding origins. The article reflects on notions of origin, place, authenticity, and tradition throughout the ongoing transformation of ayahuasca from “dangerous drug” to state and national heritage.