Kambo History

​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. 

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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. 

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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.

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​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. 

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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.

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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.