Useful plants of the Siona and Secoya Indians of eastern Ecuador

Abstract

The Siona and Secoya Indians of eastern Ec- uador are shifting cultivators and foragers who make extensive use ofboth feral and domesticated plant materials in most aspects of their culture. This study fully or partially identifies approxi- mately 224 species in 1 66 genera and 69 families that are in common occurrence. A wide variety of these plants are employed for foods and as ma- terials for tools, weapons, crafts, construction, and personal adornment. The use of plants for medic- inal and ritual purposes is notable, with emphasis given to hallucinogenic plants of such genera as Banisteriopsis, Diplopterys, Brugmansia, and Brunfelsia. As in a number of northwestern Ama- zonian societies, the use of Banisteriopsis is par- ticularly significant because it is the basis of the most important rituals and is viewed as the me- dium through which supernatural knowledge and power are achieved. The Banisteriopsis cult is the conceptual cornerstone of Siona and Secoya reli- gion, mythology, art, medicine, and warfare.