Bridge Keeper Project

The Bridge Keeper Project stems from the need to develop ethical values in our intercultural relationships between Western culture and Native Peoples, particularly in the context of contemporary master plant use.

The concept “Intercultural Ethics” refers to the importance of building a framework of social and historical awareness in the use of master plants by Western culture, which is interacting with practices and knowledge ancestrally protected by Indigenous Peoples. Developing an ethical criterion for playing the role of intercultural bridges involves becoming aware of the social and historical differences between our communities, understanding the structural conditions of privilege/oppression that have historically and presently existed, to avoid reproducing inequalities. A lack of awareness in this area can increase the risk of this knowledge disappearing, which can lead to cultural appropriation, neo-extractivism, biopiracy, and cultural homogenization, among other risks. In the context of the psychedelic renaissance in the United States and the Western world, this intercultural relationship presents significant challenges. Native cultures have much to teach and valuable alliances can be established from an intercultural ethical perspective. This project seeks to foster collective thinking and inspire the creation of dignified ways to play the role of bridges or Bridge Keepers, with the aim of creating alliances that protect the values of Indigenous Peoples and guide humanity towards a sustainable path in this New Time.