Indigenous Stewardship & 'Hunting Magic'
While not seen as a medicine in Western clinical terms, Kambo is known indigenously as sagrada medicina (sacred medicine), or sometimes translated as vacina da floresta (vaccine of the forest). This traditional method uses the secretion of Phyllomedusa bicolor, also known as the Giant Monkey Tree Frog. In stark contrast to its popular image as a 'poison', kambo frogs produce a relatively benign secretion which they use simply as an anti-bacterial coating in their humid environment. Found in abundance across the Upper Amazon, the frogs are treated with immense reverence by the tribes that work with them.
The Matsés, the primary tribe associated with the introduction of Kambo to the West, view the frog as a powerful ally rather than a resource. During collection, the frog is never harmed; it is handled with care and returned unscathed to its habitat. For the tribes of the Amazon, Kambo is a tool for optimum vitality, used to clear lethargy and support the stamina required for strenuous, multi-day hunts.
