Tribal History

According to lore, Kampu, the medicine man for the Kaxinawa tribe, found himself at a loss when all of his people fell very ill, and he was unable to make them well. He decided to take a journey with ayahuasca and went into the woods for three days on a vision quest for help. In the forest, deep into his journey, he saw a female forest spirit who handed him a frog, and showed him how to harvest the medicine. He returned to his people and did as he was shown with the frog, and the administering of kambo as medicine became regular practice after the people began healing from the vision he was given, and the gift of the frog. From then, he was called Paje Kampu. It is said that when he passed on, his spirit went into the medicine to assist with the healing of all to sit with the frog medicine. 

Kambo is used by Kaxinawa (Huni Kuin), Matses, Katukina, Yawanawa, Nukini, Kulina, Amahuaca, and Maruba tribes to treat infection, snake bites, infertility, malaria, to reduce pain and to improve stamina for hunting. It is also used to clear “Panema”, which translates to bad luck, dark/negative energy, lack of harmony with nature, laziness, energy blockages, lack of clarity or depression.

The Frogs

The Phyllomedusa Bicolor frog, also called the “waxy monkey” or “giant monkey” frog, is a large and vocal being. It has no fear, as most beings of the jungle know better than to mess with it, and it has no natural predators. Their habitat is mostly in the tree canopies due to a unique waxy quality in the frog that allows it to tolerate the sun without drying out. When we went into the jungle to collect the frogs, they crawled right onto the long sticks that the boys had put right next to them. They had no fear, and little hesitation. Their sounds are quite unique, making them easy to find. They are abundant and prolific, and not at all endangered. While the frogs are NOT harmed during the process of extracting the kambo, they are made to be quite uncomfortable. It is said to bring bad luck to a village if the frogs are harmed or over harvested through greed or carelessness, and those who collect this medicine have deep reverence for these brave little beings.