The Wonders of Mambe and Ambil: An Author's Perspective

Fernando, whose spiritual name is Nɨmairatofe (meaning “tree of wisdom”), is an author, speaker, and ancestral wisdom keeper from the Witoto indigenous community of Amazonas, Colombia. He is the author of three books and is currently working on his fourth.

About Fernando Choa Falla

Fernando, whose spiritual name is Nɨmairatofe (meaning “tree of wisdom”), is an author, speaker, and ancestral wisdom keeper from the Witoto indigenous community of Amazonas, Colombia. He is the author of three books and is currently working on his fourth.

Fernando’s passion lies in exploring the traditional mythologies of his community and he left the jungle around 15 years ago to share this ancestral wisdom with the wider world. He is well-versed in the ways and wonders of the mambe (coca leaf) and ambil medicines, and also shares his word through mambeos, conferences, and sharing circles.

In this interview, he gives us an insight into the sacredness of mambe and ambil for his community and how these medicines allowed him to develop his own wisdom about the ‘why’ of the world.