History

The most prevalent legend of Kambo comes from the Huni Kuin (Kaxinawa) tribe in Brazil. This tribe became very ill and their shaman named Kampu, tried everything in his power to heal his people. He used all his tools he had and nothing was helping heal his people. Under the effects of a sacred plant medicine, he entered the forest and received a visit from a female spirit of the forest. She brought in her hands a frog, from which she showed him a white secretion and taught Kampu how to apply it. Kampu returned to his tribe the next day, followed the guidelines he had received the night before and was able to help cure the members of his tribe. It is believed that Kampu’s spirit passed into the frogs to this very day.

The first observations of Kambô use were made by a French priest, Father Constantin Tastevin in 1925 whilst he was staying with the Huni Kuin (Kaxinawá) tribe in the upper Juruá River in Brazil. In the 1980’s an American Anthropologist, Katherine Milton described Kambô use among the Mayoruna tribe in Brazil and in the 1980’s Peter Gorman wrote about his experiences taking Kambô with the Matsés tribe in Peru.

During the 1990’s rubber tappers in Brazil learned about Kambo from the Amazonian tribes. They began to take it out into different towns where the practice spread and soon more and more people in larger cities of Brazil were using Kambo. In 2009 Kambo started making its way out of South America and was found in small ceremonies across Europe.

In 2014 the International Association of Kambo Practitioners was formed to safe guard clients, practitioners and Kambo by creating strict safety measures. Kambo is legal and safe when administered by a qualified practitioner.

We are in the middle of a massive collective awakening. Kambo is a tool that can be used for various transformations and must be held in the highest regard and with respect.