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AMBIL



According to the Amazonian tradition and the myth of the origin, Ambil is a power plant that allows man to cleanse and heal in order to receive guidance from God and the Spirits.

The ambil represents original thinking. The thought of God, the connection with the universal thought.

Ambil is a type of paste, syrup, jelly or jam made from pure tobacco and mineral salts. It can be a very strong, intense, and powerful sacred medicine.

AMBIRA - ambit with no salt, just tobacco paste.

Ambil is the liquid form of tobacco that is placed on the tip of the pinky finger, the finger of humility, to be eaten in prayer. It is prepared by taking fresh tobacco leaves and cooking them in fresh water over a wood fire for 12 to 20 hours. Healer prepares the ambil that guests consume. Ambil is often used in the presence of coca leaf or mambe, and the union of these two plants clarifies and sweetens communications, and makes us more sincere in our dealings with one another. The combination of ambil and mambe represents the sacred union of the Father Creator, represented by tobacco, and the Mother Earth, represented by coca leaf. Ambil alone also realigns our chakras, grounds us emotionally, and encourages positive, insightful conversation.

Ambil is tobacco paste mixed with different kinds of vegetable salts (Sale de agua). According to the Amazonian tradition and the myth of the origin, Ambil is a power plant that allows man to cleanse and heal in order to receive guidance from God and the Spirits.

The ambil represents original thinking. The thought of God, the connection with the universal thought.

Ambil is placed in the mouth by dipping a finger or removing a small amount with a spatula or finger nail and rubbing it on the teeth, gums, or tongue. Although consumed alone, ambil is sometimes ingested simultaneously with other snuff products.

Generally, it has limited distribution in South America. It is found among tribes of the northern end of the Andes in Colombia and Venezuela, and some parts of the north-west Amazon.

In the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in Colombia, the indigenous people prepare a thick black jelly/jam through a baking sheet of tobacco juice lasting hours or even days. The product is further thickened by adding starch – either cassava, or arrowroot.

Well-green leaves of the lower part of the tobacco plant are selected to be cooked over a slow fire. At the same time, salts are obtained by certain tribes by the evaporation of water which has been poured and percolated through ash tree parts. The salts are added to make ambil, while they concentrate it into a thick syrup or paste. Salt or alkaline ashes are used by some tribes, as part of their recipe for ambil.

Some tribes consume ambil together with coca, ayahuasca, and possibly other hallucinogens.

Also, you can take Ambil just before your rapé session in your gums, and it’ll make everything much stronger – grounds, cleanses, clears your thoughts, opens your heart and throat chakras, and connects you to Spirit...

Very masculine energy of Father Tobacco. Also, some tribes use it during other sacred medicine ceremonies, as it intensifies your experiences and deepens your journey much more.

Storage: For best storage conditions, please keep in airtight container and away from bright sunny conditions.
The elders say that the Ambil is the "Companion of thought", this must always be accompanied by the Mambe as it endows and nurtures the power of the word and harmonizes thought. His character and flavor is stronger since he is represented in the male figure, which provides clarity when listening and allows ordering ideas so that, when talking, there is always a good reception from both sides.

The Ambil is made from the slow cooking of tobacco leaves with vegetable salts in water. This must be stirred for long hours to achieve a dark syrup or jelly. It is applied to the gums and tongue so that it slowly dissolves with the Mambe.

For the native communities that make use of the Ambil, it is a key element in the harmonization and cleanliness of the environment. The Ambil strengthens the word and under the native worldview, provides the wisdom to extend spiritual and practical knowledge to the entire community.
The Witoto people (also Huitoto) are an indigenous people in south-eastern Colombia and northern Peru. Current population is approximately 8,500 people.

The Witoto people were once composed of one hundred villages or 31 tribes, but disease and conflict has reduced their numbers. Until the early 20th century, Witoto population was 50,000. The rubber boom in the mid-20th century brought diseases and displacement to the Witotos, causing their numbers to plummet to 7,000–10,000.
Since the 1990s, cattle ranchers have invaded Witoto lands—depleting the soil and polluting waterways. In response, Colombia has established several reservations for Witotos.

Witoto peoples all practiced swidden or slash-and-burn agriculture. To prevent depleting the land, they relocate their fields every few yields. Major crops include cacao, coca, maize, bitter and sweet manioc, bananas, mangoes, palms, peanuts, pineapples, plaintains, sugar cane, sweet potatoes, tobacco, and yams. Ethnobotanists have studied Witoto agriculture due to its efficiency and sustainability.
Ambil can be made with different salts, Witoto use salt that comes from a palm called Inayuga (Attalea maripa, commonly called maripa palm).
Salt is the great agent of the Moon. The radiant salt permits the condensation of fire. The volatile salt permits the condensation of the elemental air. The liquid salt permits the condensation of the water. The physical salt permits the condensation of the elemental earth. This is how, by means of salt, the four elemental kingdoms can condense themselves into physical form.
For the Muinane , the spirit of tobacco is breath (in uitoto : jag i and i ) and that a person prepares, possesses and uses ambil demonstrates that his word has value for the community. The word uitoto for ambil is yera , where ye- means ‘behavior’ and the suffix -ra ‘substance’, then for them ambil means “substance of behavior”. The concept of yetárafue ( ye- ‘behavior’; -ta- ‘make’; -rafue ‘word’) It means “Word to make one behave” (or “Word of discipline”) and is the basis for taking care of the family. And given the rigor and discipline required for the preparation of ambil, owning and using ambil is also a sign of adulthood:

Mambeadores often cite certain proverbial situations that illustrate the importance of having tobacco. In one of these situations, an irritable elder demands from a young man that he speaks in advance of the mambeadero to show him that his words come from a true substance. The old man says it like this, “Where is his strength? Where is what makes him speak?” When the proverbial young man admits that he has neither amble nor coca to show, the old man embarrasses him, claiming that his words are lies that will not bring good results, and that he should remain silent. The man who owns a container with ambil, shows that he has successfully produced tobacco. This in turn is evidence of the willingness to work hard … A young man who has not shown this disposition or who does not make his knowledge manifest through material production does not have to speak in the mambeadero. His talk is still soft and weak, his morality still unverified, and his power over the world, minimal.
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Ambil is the liquid pasty form of tobacco that is placed on the tip of the pinky finger, the finger of humility, to be eaten in prayer.
It is prepared by taking fresh tobacco leaves and cooking them in fresh water over a wood fire for 12 to 20 hours.

Traditionally, ambil is often used in the presence of mambe, and the union of these two plants clarifies and sweetens communications, and makes us more sincere in our dealings with one another.  The combination of ambil and mambe
represents the sacred union of the Father Creator, represented by mapacho, and the Mother Earth, represented by coca leaf.

Ambil alone also realigns our chakras, grounds us emotionally, and encourages positive, insightful conversation. During the cooking process, there is a lot of prayer and healing given by who is preparing it.
Preparation of the ambil

The ambil of snuff is prepared as follows:

Washing : the fresh leaves of tobacco are washed in cold water to remove the resins and dust that cover them.
Boiled : the leaves are boiled for a period of 12 to 20 hours.
Filtering : the bagasse is separated from the tobacco juice obtained with a cloth filter, taking care not to waste any of the liquid.
Cooking : the juice is cooked over low heat until it reaches a thick consistency and an intense purple color.
Mixed : thick juice is mixed with vegetable salts.
Evaporation : cook again at low heat until all the water evaporates and only a black and elastic paste remains.
Storage : the paste is usually placed in a small gourd (in uitoto : yerak i ) or similar container. It can last from 4 to 5 months, if it is not finished before it is discarded.
All this process of elaboration is ritual, so it is accompanied by songs and prayers to the tobacco. To use the ambil, a small amount of the container is extracted with the finger, a stick or a spatula and then lick or suck it into the mouth. It differs from the chimó in that the mixing is done not with plant salts but with ash water and some additives.
Ambil tobacco leaves
Lower leaves person
Middle community
Upper elders
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Sale de agua - mixed with tobacco to make Ambil

10 gr per 1 liter
Preparation of plant salts

Plant salts are prepared as follows:

Burned : It burns plant material from a selection of plants such as Rapatea sp. (in uitoto : eragua i ), Astrocaryum gynacanthum (in uitoto : tidori ), among others.
Extraction of the salts : the salt of the ashes is leached with water using a cloth filter.
Drying : the brine is boiled until obtaining the dry salts.
Ambil (tabaco)

El ambil (en uitoto: yera) es una pasta negra usada por varios pueblos de la amazonía noroccidental que se obtiene a partir de la cocción de las hojas de tabaco (Nicotiana rustica) mezclándolas luego con sales vegetales alcalinas.1​

Es similar en su preparación al chimó del oeste de Venezuela y al norte de los llanos de Colombia.2​

1 Distribución geográfica
2 Importancia cultural
3 Preparación del ambil
3.1 Preparación de las sales vegetales
4 Véase también
5 Notas
6 Referencias
7 Bibliografía
8 Enlaces externos
Distribución geográfica[editar]
El consumo de ambil es común entre los grupos lingúisticos chibchas del norte de Colombia, pueblos tradicionales e la amazonia nor occidental como los Kogui, Andoque e Ijka, así como en el resguardo Predio Putumayo (entre las regiones de Caquetá y Putumayo).3​ También se encuentra entre los Uitoto, Bora, Yukuna del río Miriti-Parana y los grupos del río Apaporis.4​

Importancia cultural[editar]
El ambil, al igual que el tabaco en sus distintas presentaciones (rapé, para fumar en pipa, como purga, como enema y en líquido por vía nasal,nota 1​) ha venido y continúa siendo utilizado por las culturas tradicionales de Sudamérica en un contexto medicinal, ritual y sagrado.7​ El tabaco en ambil y la coca en mambe son utilizados en el mambeadero por hombres para intercambiar la palabra y tomar decisiones de vital importancia para la comunidad, no es tanto un modelo para la toma de decisiones sino una ética para la toma de decisiones.8​

En la cultura uitoto, ofrecer ambil es una muestra de amistad, rechazarlo una muestra de hostilidad.9​ Se considera una sustancia sagrada que da vida, protección, socializa y brinda discernimiento moral.10​ De acuerdo a Londoño, quien estudió a la etnia Muinane:

... se supone que el ambil dentro del recipiente provee al consumidor pensamientos/emociones apropiados, "asienta" y fija en su canasto de conocimiento las Palabras instrumentales que escuche, y lo habilita para expresarlas. Más aun, el ambil se supone que "despierta" a la persona, llevándola a un estado de conciencia plena y vigilante, y sensibiliza su cuerpo de tal manera que reconoce la presencia de la maldad amenazante por medio de sensaciones cosquilleantes en la espalda y la piel, o por medio de los dedos de los pies, que sienten la tierra de la misma manera en que la sienten las raíces del tabaco.
Muinane: un proyecto moral a perpetuidad (2004)10​
Para los Muinane, el espíritu del tabaco es aliento (en uitoto: jagiyi) y que una persona prepare, posea y use ambil demuestra que su palabra tiene valor para la comunidad.11​ La palabra uitoto para ambil es yera, en donde ye- significa 'comportamiento' y el sufijo -ra 'sustancia', entonces para ellos ambil significa "sustancia del comportamiento". El concepto de yetárafue (ye-: 'comportamiento'; -ta-: 'hacer que'; -rafue: 'palabra')nota 2​ significa "Palabra para hacer comportarse" (o "Palabra de disciplina") y es la base para cuidar a la familia.13​ Y dada la rigurosidad y disciplina requeridas para la prepararación del ambil, poseer y usar ambil es también señal de adultez:

Los mambeadores con frecuencia citan ciertas situaciones proverbiales que ilustran la importancia de tener tabaco. En una de estas situaciones, un anciano irritable le exige a un joven que habla antes de tiempo en el mambeadero que le muestre que sus Palabras vienen de una sustancia verdadera. El anciano lo dice así, "¿Dónde está su fuerza? ¿Dónde está lo que lo hace hablar?" Cuando el joven proverbial admite que no tiene ni ambil ni coca que mostrar, el anciano lo avergüenza, reclamándole que sus Palabras son mentiras que no traerán buenos resultados, y que debió permanecer callado. El hombre que posee un recipiente con ambil, demuestra que ha producido tabaco con éxito. Esto a su vez es evidencia de la disposición al trabajo duro ... Un joven que no ha mostrado esa disposición o que no hace manifiesto su conocimiento a través de la producción material no tiene porqué hablar en el mambeadero. Su charla es aún blandita y débil, su moralidad aún sin comprobar, y su poder para sobre el mundo, mínima.

Muinane: un proyecto moral a perpetuidad (2004)14​
Preparación del ambil
El ambil de tabaco se prepara de la siguiente manera:15​16​

Lavado: se lavan las hojas frescas de tabaco en agua fría para remover las resinas y polvos que las cubren.
Hervido: se hierven las hojas por un periodo de 12 a 20 horas.
Filtrado: se separa el bagazo del zumo de tabaco obtenido con un filtro de tela, teniendo cuidado de no desperdiciar nada del líquido.
Cocción: se cocina el zumo a fuego lento hasta lograr una consistencia espesa y un color morado intenso.
Mezclado: se mezcla el zumo grueso con las sales vegetales.
Evaporación: se cocina nuevamente a fuego lento hasta que se evaporado toda el agua y solo queda una pasta negra y elástica.
Almacenado: la pasta se coloca por lo general en un pequeño calabazo (en uitoto: yeraki) o recipiente similar. Puede durar de 4 a 5 meses, si no se acaba antes se descarta.17​
Todo este proceso de elaboración es ritual por lo que va acompañado de cantos y rezos al tabaco.18​ Para usar el ambil, se extrae una pequeña cantidad del recipiente con el dedo, un palito o una espátula para luego lamerlo o chuparlo dentro de la boca.19​ Se diferencia del chimó en que el mezclado se realiza no con sales vegetales sino con agua de ceniza y algunos aditivos.20​

Preparación de las sales vegetales
Las sales vegetales se preparan de la siguiente manera:21​

Quemado: Se quema material vegetal de una selección de plantas como Rapatea sp. (en uitoto: eraguai), Astrocaryum gynacanthum (en uitoto: tidori),22​ entre otras.23​24​
Extracción de las sales: se lixivia la sal de las cenizas con agua utilizando un filtro de tela.
Secado: se hierve la salmuera hasta obtener las sales secas.

Referencias[editar]
  1. Gately, Iain (2002). «Tobacco: The Story of How Tobacco Seduced the World». Washington Post. Consultado el 24 de marzo de 2017.
  2. Kamen-Kaye 1971: 2, 12.
  3. Echeverri 2015: 108.
  4. Oyuela-Caycedo, Augusto ; Kawa, Nicholas C. (2015). «A Deep History of Tobacco in Lowland South America». En Russell, Andrew; Rahman, Elizabeth, eds. The Master Plant: Tobacco in Lowland South America (en inglés) (London: Bloomsbury Academic Publishing). ISBN 978-1350007390. Consultado el 24 de marzo de 2017.
  5. Pérez Villareal, Ana María (2009). «Sistema médico tradicional con Sanpedro y la enseñanza a curanderos del maestro Marco Mosquera Huatay». Revista Cultura y Droga (Manizales: Universidad de Caldas) 14 (16): 96-97. ISSN 0122-8455.
  6. Polia Meconi, Mario (1996), "Despierta, remedio, cuenta...": adivinos y médicos del Ande, Lima: Fondo Editorial de la Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, pp. 331-332, ISBN 9972-42-050-7.
  7. Puig Domenech 2008: 40.
  8. Pereira 2011: 89.
  9. Echeverri 2008: 129.
  10. Saltar a:
    a b Londoño 2004: 42.
  11. Echeverri 2008: 47.
  12. Echeverri 2008: 28.
  13. Echeverri 2008: 97.
  14. Londoño 2004: 53.
  15. Echeverri 2015: 113-116.
  16. Londoño 2004: 44-45.
  17. Kamen-Kaye 1971: 36.
  18. Bríñez Pérez, Ana Hilda (2002), Casabe: símbolo cohesionador de la cultura uitoto, Bogotá: Ministerio de Cultura, p. 159, ISBN 9789588159188.
  19. Suárez, Carlos. «Mambe, De la maloca a la universidad». visionchamanica.com. Consultado el 25 de marzo de 2017.
  20. Kamen-Kaye 1971: 45-46.
  21. Echeverri 2015: 113, 115.
  22. Marmolejo, Diana ; Montes, María Emilia; Bernal, Rodrigo (2008). «Nombres amerindios de las palmas (Palmae) de Colombia». Revista Peruana de Biología (Lima: Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, UNMSM) 15 (sup.1 Las palmeras en América del Sur): 151- 190. ISSN 1727-9933.
  23. Galeano, G. 1992. Las palmas de la región de Araracuara. Estudios en la Amazonia colombiana. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional De Colombia. Segunda Edición. Bogotá, Colombia. 179 Pág.
  24. Echeverri 2008: 280-281.

Bibliografía