Reflections on Psychedelic Culture Conference

The Eagle: a symbol of leadership

Psychedelic Culture

Brava Theatre, San Francisco, CA

April 27-28, 2024

Another week, another psychedelic conference. Psychedelic Culture, hosted by the team at Chacruna, is an interdisciplinary conference with a focus on indigenous reciprocity & decolonial dialogues, psychedelic justice, protection of sacred plants & cultural traditions, and voices from the global south.

Intentions

·      Listen

·      Stay open to a range of perspectives and ideas

What’s really sticking with me from this event is the session I attended called “Who Benefits from the “Psychedelic Renaissance”? Indigenous Reciprocity, Decolonization, and Plant Medicine Conservation”.

Leopardo Yawa Bane underscored the importance of maintaining cultural traditions while navigating the complexities of contemporary life. He emphasized the responsibility of the current generation and movement to honor and preserve the wisdom of their ancestors.

Osiris Garcia Cerqueda urged participants to be careful about simply giving money to

indigenous communities. He cautioned against the pitfalls of tokenistic gestures and emphasized the need for genuine dialogue and understanding of the unique challenges faced by indigenous peoples. Cerqueda also highlighted unfortunate effects of cultural appropriation. He suggested that folks take time and care before simply donating money that might not get to those who need it most.

Christine Diindisi McCleave used storytelling to offer insights into the complexities of reconciliation and the nuances of true reciprocity. She emphasized the importance of consultation on a nation-to-nation basis, rather than merely seeking individual opinions, and stressed the need for patience and commitment to the process.

Takeaways

• it will take as long it takes

• be careful of tokenistic gestures simply aimed at reducing your own guilt