What is Acaté?: The Magic and Science of the Giant Monkey Tree Frog (Phyllomedusa bicolor)
What is acaté? Acaté (ah-KAH-teh) is the Matsés word for the giant monkey tree frog (Phyllomedusa bicolor). Known for its mind-altering skin secretions, the giant monkey frog is used in hunting rituals by the Matsés and a small handful of tribes living in the Amazon Rainforest between Peru and Brazil. The secretions, rich in a diversity of bioactive peptides, are administered directly into the body through application onto fresh burn or cut-wounds. Within moments, the toxins induce intense cardiovascular and autonomic responses, ultimately leading to a state of altered consciousness and heightened sensory acuity. For the Matsés, ceremonial use of acaté confers not only strength and courage to an individual but is a medium for transmission of knowledge among participants. For these reasons, we adopted Acaté as the name for our organization in recognition of the cultural significance of this extraordinary creature of the rainforest.
Acaté
Although its range extends across northern Amazonia, only the Matsés and a small number of neighboring Panoan tribes are known to use its powerful secretions. After reports of its use emerged from the forest, investigations of the frog’s secretions in the laboratory revealed a complex cocktail of peptides with potent vasoactive, narcotic, and antimicrobial properties. Several pharmaceutical companies and universities filed patents on the peptides without recognition of indigenous peoples for which it has long held a unique and important role in their culture.
As scientists, we cannot afford the luxury of an ethnocentric snobbery which assumes that primitive cultures have nothing whatsoever to contribute to civilization. Our civilization is, in fact, a compendium of such borrowings. Indeed, a good case could probably be made that, in the long run, it is the ‘higher’ culture which benefits, the more thoroughly being enriched, while the ‘lower’ culture not uncommonly disappears entirely as a result of the contact. Yale Anthropologist, Weston La Barre, Ph.D.
Recent Emergence of Sapo / Kambo as a Global Phenomenon: A Remarkable Turnaround
In 2012, when launching our organization, we choose the name of acaté in recognition of the ceremonial use of the secretions of the frog Phyllomedusa bicolor, a unique aspect of the Matsés and a few other related Panoan groups’ cultural heritage. At that time, the use of Phyllomedusa bicolor secretions was not well known to the outside world apart from anthropologic reports, the aforementioned pharma interest, and a handful of popular magazine articles here and there. We could not have imagined that in a few short years later, the use of Phyllomedusa bicolor secretions for healing would explode on the global scene. Fortunately for our organization to avoid confusion about our work by the general public, another indigenous-derived term, kambo, and a Spanish term sapo, rather than acate, emerged to become the popular nomenclature.
Over the past five years, the sale of kambo venom (in the form of dried secretions on a thin slat of balsa wood) has become one of the most important sources of incomes for the Matsés. This return of benefits to the Matsés is itself a remarkable and positive transformation as noted above the origin story of the discovery of the Phyllomedusa bicolor secretions and its peptides decades ago by the outside world was formerly a case example of uncompensated misappropriation and theft of intellectual property from indigenous communities. Behind the scenes, Acaté has worked for years on behalf of the Matsés to serve as an unofficial liaison with international kambo practitioners and healing centers to help shift the sourcing of kambo, from individuals outside of the Matsés territory, to purchases directly from the Matsés communities themselves. Some kambo practitioners in the US and UK are concerned greatly with the well-being of the Matsés, and are further contributing a portion of proceeds to support programs to benefit the health and education of the Matsés and the preservation of their culture. Acaté has also invested in advancing sustainable practices for harvest that do not harm individual frogs or populations, integrating their husbandry into the aquaculture project.
Giant monkey tree frog (Phyllomedusa bicolor) displaying characteristic prehensile hands ©Acaté