A Kaxinawa’ legend tells that many of the members of the tribe had fallen ill and their medicine man had exhausted all known options and medicinal herbs trying to heal them with no success. While under the influence of another sacred plant, the medicine man journeyed deep into the forest and received a message from the great spirit guardian. She gave him a frog and taught him how to use its secretion for radical, innate healing. He returned to the tribe with the guidelines he had learned and was able to cure his brothers and sisters. From then on he was known as Paje’ Kampu. Even after Kampu's death the spirit of the frog lives on. Legend says that this spirit will forever protect and heal those who defend the forest.
History of Kambo
The use of Kambo goes back thousands of years as a traditional medicine within Amazonian indigenous tribes. Many tribes across the upper Amazon region claim Kambo, or Sapo as it is known in Peru, as their own, although there is no one tribe credited with discovering it. The frogs are found in Peru, Brazil, Bolivia, Columbia, Ecuador, French Guyana and Venezuela, but the largest use of Kambo among indigenous people is in Brazil and Peru. The Kaxinawá, Katukina, Yawanawá, Kulina, Mayoruna, Amahuaca and Matsés are among the most frequent users. Kambo has been used for so long and so extensively that each tribe has developed its own legend. It truly is the medicine of many tribes and many peoples.
Amazonian tribes have traditionally used Kambo in 3 ways:
“Hunting Magic” — Kambo cleansed and strengthened the minds and bodies of hunters before setting out on their expeditions. This provided them with more endurance, energy and focus while hunting.
Medicine — Kambo has commonly been used to treat malaria, snake bites, fever, and various infections.
Clearing “Panema,” or dark/negative energy — allowing obstacles for the individual to be removed giving a clear mindset.
There are numerous stories of Kambo being used for sexual attraction, fertility and behavioral correction. Many of the traditional uses of Kambo are held closely by the women of the Amazonian tribes and are rarely if never shared with outsiders.
The first "outsider” observations of Kambo use were made by a French priest, Father Constantin Tastevin, in 1925 in Brazil. In the mid 1980s, American anthropologist, Katharine Milton, reported Kambo use among the Mayoruna tribe in Brazil and Peter Gorman documented his discovery of Sapo (the Spanish word for the secretion) during a trip to the Matsés in Peru. During the early 1990s, rubber tappers in Brazil learned about Kambo from the Amazonian tribes. They began to take it out into the towns of Acre and apply it themselves. Francisco Gomes spent several years living with the Katukina tribe and was one of the first people to pioneer the use of Kambo outside the Amazon. Sonia Maria Valença Menezes, a flower essence practitioner, acupuncturist, and member of the Santo Daime religious movement came into contact with Kambo in 1999, through Francisco Gomes and his family. Together, they are largely responsible for spreading the practice of Kambo.
There are many factors which have contributed to the growing interest in and use of Kambo, including the increased number of visitors to the Amazon and the spread of other plant medicines such as Ayahuasca, which is seen as synergistic with Kambo in many of the Amazonian tribes. The number of people receiving Kambo treatments has also been increasing because of the great many benefits observed by those who have experienced it. Kambo has recently become wildly popular in tech industry circles due to its potential mental health benefits, increased mental clarity, thought pattern connections and stress reduction.
We have entered a time of increasing consciousness, with a greater awareness of our need to heal ourselves on a deeper level and an inclination to participate in a more holistic and active approach to healing. The secretion of an Amazonian tree frog may seem like a strange place to find deep healing, but there is no doubt that it is here for a reason. It is no coincidence that in the depths of the Amazon, these tribes have found such a powerful tool for healing that is so completely synergistic with the human being. The history of their rituals and ceremonies are sacred and they are the keepers and protectors of the Amazon rainforest. It is with great humility and respect for them and their traditions that we access their generous gifts to mankind. It is one of the many reasons we should work to protect the forests of the Amazon region and in doing so preserve the people and their sacred traditions and knowledge.
How Kambo is Harvested
As someone who is sensitive to our impact on the world and the creatures we share it with, ethical sourcing of this medicine is incredibly important to me. I only source my Kambo from tribes who are stewarding the land and treating the frogs humanely.
Kambo is harvested by local indigenous Amazonian tribes, who regularly use these Kambo practices within their own traditions and ceremonies. Kambo frogs are nocturnal and can be found in trees near the Amazon rainforest waterways. The frogs gather to sing and announce the rain and this song is imitated to locate and draw out the frogs during collection. The frogs are easy to catch and handle, likely because they have few to no predators. Once caught, the frogs are carefully and delicately tied by the legs with straw strings, spreading the frog into an X shape. Tribe members will then massage the frogs in order to encourage the secretion, a portion of which is then carefully removed and dried onto small bamboo sticks.
When properly collected, tribe members are careful to only take the first secretion. This ensures the medicine is strong and that the frog has plenty of its secretion left. After the harvest is complete, the frog is marked with a white circle that will ensure tribes do not harvest from this frog again till it fades in 3 months. The frog is carefully released and returns to its natural habitat unharmed. The frogs are treated with the utmost care, and aren’t dangerous or defensive. They are even known to come back willingly when called upon again. When the secretion is collected in this manner, it is considered ethically harvested.
While some people believe that the frog is irritated and the secretion is unethical, it is important to remember that the Amazonian tribes working with the frog have a strong connection to the Earth, including the animal spirits and spirits of the land. They believe that to upset or harm the frogs will bring negative consequences, so they are careful to always treat the frogs with care and respect.
The Kambo frog population is widely distributed across the Amazon, where their predominant threat is deforestation and destruction of natural habitat. Protection of our Earth is incredibly important for these frogs, and all of the extremely diverse array of plants, animals and fungi with such impactful medical applications. I encourage everyone to do all they can to help protect our great Mother Earth.