Etheridge Foundation in Support of Indigenous Ayahuasca Conference

Photo: ICEERS

Via a donation to our allies the Indigenous Medicine Conservation (IMC) Fund, the Etheridge Foundation has contributed $5,000 in support of the fifth Indigenous Ayahuasca Conference.

Held from January 25 to 30, 2025, in the Sacred Village of the Yawanawa people in Acre, Brazil, the conference brought together 285 participants, including 207 Indigenous representatives from 34 native peoples from Latin America and other continents.

Some of the major issues addressed were: regulation of the use and transport of ayahuasca, protection of its genetic heritage, its application in the treatment of substance use disorders, and the fundamental role of Indigenous women in the transmission of ancestral knowledge.

The creation of the Council of Indigenous Spiritual Leaderships was also announced, to defend the spirituality and ethics surrounding ayahuasca.

At the closing ceremony, the participants approved the Letter of the V Ayahuasca Indigenous Conference, which includes the main agreements, concerns and demands of Indigenous peoples regarding the preservation of their traditional medicines and their right to free, prior and informed consultation.

Learn more about the conference from our ally ICEERS.