This publication comes as an effort to approach the vast universe of the Cofán’s botany from the perspective of elder women: a process that contributes to the preservation of ancient knowledge and biodiversity of the region. The indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants among the Cofan is associated with their ancestral territory, which is increasingly fragmented and threatened by over-exploitation of natural resources, ranching, illegal crops, fumigation of illicit crops, the armed conflict, among others. This book emerges as a way to offer a tool to maintain and transmit knowledge from elders to youth in the community. Was developed from an exchange of experiences and cultural characterization of the medicinal properties of plants, interviews with elders, expeditions to the Sanctuary Orito Ingi, to indigenous reserves and gardens in the area. A series of illustrations of the medicinal plants that contribute to their identification  and to highlight the indigenous art to represent the medicinal flora were also made.

 

This publication is the result of a participative work that has been developing since 2007 with the grandmothers and their followers, the Taita and apprentices of traditional medicine, youth, women and children from the “resguardos” Cofán de Santa Rosa del Guamuez, Afilador Campo Alegre, Yarinal y Ukumarikanque and in coordination with ASMIK (Cofan Indigenous medical Association), the Special Administrative Unit for National Parks, Amazon Conservation Team (ACT Colombia), in collaboration with the Tropenbos International Colombia.