ACT UPDATE   March 18, 2005

Dear Friends,

The Amazon Conservation Team would like to invite you to join the crew of the "Princess of the Amazon" on the Voyage of the Great Serpent: The Expedition to the Origins of the Tukano People. Please visit our website at http://www.amazonteam.org/news/news_0305_article01.html for details on the journey of a multidisciplinary team of indigenous healers and leaders, anthropologists, and cartographers to sacred points along the Vaupés and the Rio Negro.

We've had a busy quarter with wonderful accomplishments in the area of ethnomedicine. The Traditional Medicine Clinics at Apetina and Kajana, Suriname opened this February. These clinics are a continuation of the successful model begun in Kwamalasamutu and replicated at Tepu. The clinics operate side by side with Western clinics, and patients are referred to the clinic that can best address their ailment.

ACT Suriname's traditional medicine clinics have already won acclaim, featured as a "Best Practice Using Indigenous Knowledge" by UNESCO/Nuffic in 2002, and at the World Bank Development Marketplace in 2003. Not only do the clinics help strengthen the communities and their traditional knowledge, they improve the level of healthcare to some of the most remote areas of the continent.

The Kajana clinic is named Sangaafu, after an important plant in the Saramaccan communities. The Saramaccaners use sangaafu for medicinal purposes; they also smear it on their bodies before hunting or when pregnant, and sometimes use it to protect their homes from evil. The Sangaafu Clinic has been operational since October of 2004. During the ceremonial opening held in February, the key was delivered to Belloni Kadosoe, the dresiman, or chief shaman, of the clinic. Bello's specialty is healing fractures and bone damage, and there are plans to develop a special facility dedicated to healing bone injuries. Many of the healers at the Kajana clinic are women who will address family health and birthing.

Apetina is a Wayana village, and its clinic is called Epipakalon, which means medicine clinic in Wayana. At the opening in Apetina, young women in traditional dress welcomed the visitors, accompanied by men in traditional dress playing guitar. The granman of the village sent ACT a note of thanks, saying, "We now believe that we have done this together, especially with the support you gave us. The result is this building Epipakalon."

ACT Suriname was also present at the Children's Book Festival in Paramaribo as part of Nature Web, a group of organizations working to conserve Suriname's biodiversity. Kamainja worked the stand, introducing Mark Plotkin and Lynne Cherry's children's book, "The Shaman's Apprentice," which is based on his life.

In April, Mark Plotkin will be giving two talks in the Bay Area. At 7:30 p.m. on April 14, Mark will give a talk entitled " Flowers, Medicines, Exploration, Discovery and Rainforest Conservation!" at the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers. For information on purchasing tickets, visit http://www.conservatoryofflowers.org/education/lectures-workshops.htm.

On April 15, Mark will be speaking at a special reception to benefit the Environmental Volunteers, beginning at 7 p.m. at San Jose's Tech Museum of Innovation. Visit www.evols.org for more information.