Traditional Andean Medicine is a system of medicine that developed in the Andes Mountains region of South America and today encompasses the ancestral knowledge of more than 30 ethnic groups.
Distributed among Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru, Chile, and Argentina, these ancestral peoples have endured centuries of resistance to foreign domination, fighting for the perpetuation of ancient knowledge.
This knowledge dates back to the civilizations that inhabited—and still inhabit—our continent thousands of years ago. Examples include the Incas, Mayans, Aztecs, Quechuas, Aymaras, Mapuches, Qom, Tupi, Kallawaya, among many others.
If you want to know more about what Traditional Andean Medicine is and the richness of this ancestral knowledge, keep reading!
What is the origin of Traditional Andean Medicine?
As you saw in the introduction, Traditional Andean Medicine (TAM) encompasses a body of knowledge from numerous peoples who developed around the Andes Mountains. For this reason, we cannot pinpoint a single origin for this knowledge.
Like Ayurveda, this system of medicine developed through oral tradition, being passed down from generation to generation to the present day.
But in recent years, we have seen increased efforts in disseminating this knowledge, as well as recording it for future generations.
How does Traditional Andean Medicine work?
TAM is based on the Andean worldview, which considers that there is an Immanent and Sacred Being that flows through four directions.
These directions are marked by four elements: Tayta Nina (Fire), Allpamama (Earth), Yakumama (Water), and Tayta Wayra (Air) — any resemblance to the panchamahabhutas in Ayurveda is not a mere coincidence.
More than elements, earth, air, fire, and water are living beings, as is all material manifestation. Therefore, in the Andean worldview, everything is sacred.
In this sense, health is a reflection of the harmony and balance we establish in our relationship with our environment. Illness, on the other hand, is a consequence of a lack of balance with Nature.
According to Traditional Andean Medicine, health imbalances can be both physical and spiritual.
Thus, among the treatment possibilities are dietary balance, the adoption of healthy habits and behaviors, the use of medicinal herbs, and also the performance of rituals and offerings.
Who can practice Traditional Andean Medicine?
According to the Andean worldview, healing practices cannot be performed by just anyone. Only “chosen” people can receive this ancestral knowledge and practice it.
In the case of the Mapuche people, for example, the machis receive a divine calling to assume this role, through initiation ceremonies.
In the Kallawaya tradition, medical knowledge has been passed down from father to son successively since pre-Inca times. In fact, the Kallawayas were the official physicians of the Inca royalty, a position very similar to that of the original vaidyas in Ayurveda.
The Q’eros nation is another example of an ancestral healing tradition that dates back to the Inca period. In addition to these, we have the yatiris, qolliris, among many other names given to health professionals in these traditions.
Another important point to highlight is that each person receives a different healing gift.
This means that some people follow more spiritual paths, others work with medicinal plants. Still others heal with the energy of their hands.
Some make diagnoses through the pulse, through astrological movements, or by reading coca leaves.
It is worth noting that, except for very particular cases, such as the Kallawayas, women have always been present in healing practices and are still largely responsible for keeping this knowledge alive.
The role of community in Traditional Andean Medicine
The Andean belief system is governed by a series of principles, among which the Ayllu, or community, plays a central role.
In this sense, for the Andean peoples, the community is a small macrocosm, on which all people depend for survival.
Within it, each person performs a function, contributing to its continued unity. At the same time, the community supports each person so that they can develop to their full potential.
Without the community, the individual becomes displaced from their world and may become ill.
Other codes that shape this existence are Ayni (reciprocity), Minka (community work), Munay (absolute love), Mita (co-responsibility), Iachay (gratitude for all that has been learned), Anya (respect for the truth of each individual), Llankay (working with love), and Yachay (wisdom acquired through experience).
Traditional Andean Medicine and WHO recognition
Traditional Andean Medicine is recognized by the World Health Organization as a Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine (TCIM) system.
Alongside other ancestral medicine systems, such as Ayurveda, Siddha Medicine, Unani Medicine, Mesoamerican Medicine, and Afro-American Traditional Medicine, among others, TAM plays a crucial role in establishing Universal Health Coverage.
This initiative aims to ensure that all people, anywhere in the world, have access to essential health services without difficulty.
This involves offering financially accessible, easily adaptable, and easily adherent health services for patients, which puts traditional medicines at an advantage over modern medicine.
In addition, Traditional Andean Medicine, like other traditional health systems, has an integrative and preventive approach.
This approach can contribute to the reduction of chronic diseases and a significant increase in the quality of life of people who already have some of these illnesses. I hope you enjoyed learning more about Traditional Andean Medicine, and I’ll see you in the next article.
Hugs,
Eve.
