For the Amazonian Indigenous peoples, health and healing are closely linked to the spiritual world. Although much of this knowledge has lost its value, the Matsigenka people still maintain knowledge linked to traditional medicine. These practices not only strengthen their sense of identity but also reinforce their connection to territory.

The use of medicinal plants continues to provide an important alternative to facilitating greater access to health and the treatment of various diseases. Community healers who have been initiated into this practice through special rites possess the knowledge in the use of leaves, roots, bark, flowers, seeds, resins, infusions, or powders to treat physical ailments.

Ethnobotanical knowledge is not only limited to the treatment of physical ailments, but also includes other aspects of a spiritual nature, such as terrors, hauntings, cures, or interpersonal conflicts, seeking to improve the overall health of the people.

In 2022, we held a Medicinal Plant Workshop with the children of the Shipetiari community. This creative workshop involved a plant walk led by one of the elders Lola, and the primary level students. By first identifying the plant in its natural habitat, the children would retrieve a sample of the corresponding leaf, serving as each plant's signature. We then went back to the drawing board and taught the children the method of making "impressions" of each leaf using colored pencils and bond paper.

Among the many plants cultivated by the Matsigenka is Seri, or tobacco, which they view as a powerful medicine. It is primarily used to bolster the immune and respiratory systems and to treat colds. Beyond its physical healing properties, Seri holds a protective value for hunters, acting as a spiritual and physical defense against snakes and their bites.

The preparation of Seri consists of two stages, collection and elaboration. Firstly, a bark called Seritaki is collected and burned and sieved to obtain an ash. Then, tobacco leaves collected from the garden are dried over a fire. They are then pulverized in a pot using a wooden mortar and pestle, while a chant is sung to accompany the preparation. This chant is important for the Matsigenka, as it guarantees the power and potency of the tobacco or Seri.  

Once the ideal texture of the powder is achieved, it is mixed with the ash and stored in a giant snail shell called Pompori in Matsigenka. Finally, the tobacco powder is inhaled through a pipe or Seritonki, which is an L-shaped tube made from the leg bones of a bird called Paujil, secured with a tough natural resin and hand-spun cotton thread.

Tobacco exchange is mainly practiced among the men, and the usual procedure consists of blowing several times into both nostrils, which causes a feeling of drunkenness or energetic intensity. This practice also transcends the physical act of blowing the Seri into a profound sharing of experience, wisdom and spiritual connection. These moments of meaningful exchange reinforce community ties and ensure the transmission of ancestral knowledge, honoring the principles of reciprocity and collective healing.

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Kamaranpi or Kasantonitsa is how the Matsigenka call ayahuasca (or Liana of the Guacamayo). It is prepared into a special brew by combining two plants: the ayahuasca vine (Banisteriopsis caapi) and the leaf of the chacruna shrub, which contains a powerful psychoactive compound. This psychoactive brew is used in the healing rituals of the seripigari or shaman.  

In the Matsigenka cosmovision, the seripigari maintains direct contact with the world of the saankariite, which are the spirits of plants and animals. In the treatment of diseases, the collaboration of the healer's auxiliary spirits is considered fundamental, since the healer himself has no power (Sever, 2012).