The Universe Within Podcast Ep. 23 - B. R. Best - Plant Medicine, Shipibo Language & Cosmovision
Una nota: para ver las notas del episodio en español, visite mi sitio web a: https://www.universewithinpodcast.com/podcast/b-r-best
Hey everybody! In this show, I spoke with my friend Brian Best. Brian and I met when I first came to the Amazon. Brian is a fascinating guy who I have a lot of respect for. He has a knowledge of the Shipibo language and culture that is unparalleled. He carries a deep respect for their wisdom and medicine and is a phenomenal bridge to gaining insight into the world of plant medicine. I knew this would be one of my favorite interviews and it didn't disappoint. It was an epic conversation of 4.5 hours and there is a lot of priceless knowledge and wisdom that he shared. In the first half of the show, we spoke about Brian's journey and in the second half, we got into language, medicine, and cosmovision. I think you all will gain a tremendous amount from this interview. As always, to support this podcast, get early access to shows, bonus material, and Q&As, check out my Patreon page below. Enjoy!
“Brian is a linguistic anthropologist and an ecological sanitation specialist, who has been a student of Manuela since 2011. His studies led him to the Ucayali River region where he has been sharing and learning with the Shipibo-Konibo since 2003. In 2016 he began focusing on Shipibo-Konibo language revitalization and received a master’s degree in Native American Languages and Linguistics in 2019. His thesis, Jakón Jói, examines the links between Indigenous language dictionaries and Indigenous Decolonization and describes an ongoing project to create an online Shipibo-Konibo dictionary.
He continues to provide assistance to the NGO Alianza Arkana while serving as the interim administrator for Jakon Rate. To the amusement of Manuela, Jurriën and others, he tries –often unsuccessfully– to find time to observe dieta while balancing work and a young family. Brian lives near Manuela and provides full-time assistance on many levels.”
To learn more about Brian’s work or contact him, visit:
https://shipibojoi.org/jakon-rate-center-for-shipibo-konibo-studies/
https://www.instagram.com/jakon_rate
This episode is sponsored by the Temple of the Way of Light: https://templeofthewayoflight.org/
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If you would like more information on plant medicine and the work I do, visit my site at: https://www.NicotianaRustica.org
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Music courtesy of Nuno Moreno. See his work at: https://m.soundcloud.com/groove_a_zen_sound and https://nahira-ziwa.bandcamp.com/