SCIENCE OF JUREMA SAGRADA
ANCESTRAL KNOWLEDGE AND BIOCULTURAL INFORMATIONAL HERITAGE
Keywords:
Science of the Sacred Jurema, Truká Territory (Orocó - PE), ancestry, biocultural informational heritageAbstract
The ancestral knowledge of the science of the Sacred Jurema encompasses a complex biocultural informational heritage that challenges hegemonic epistemologies. This study aims to present an experience report resulting from immersion in the II Ancestral Medicines Seminar Jurema: Science, Care, and Protection, held in the Truká indigenous territory in Orocó, Pernambuco, Brazil, from May 23 to 26, 2026. Methodologically, it is a descriptive, qualitative study operationalized through the participant research method. The documentary and analytical corpus is based on observations recorded in a field diary, informal dialogues, experiences in workshops, and audiovisual records of chants, prayers, and rituals collected through direct contact with the territory and diverse social agents. As main results, we highlight that the discussions were structured around three central axes termed "Ramas" (Branches): Care, Science, and Protection. The immersion underscored the urgent need to safeguard the Caatinga biome and the Jurema tree against desertification and predatory harvesting, while also proposing ethical and regulatory boundaries regarding the appropriation of traditional knowledge by Western psychedelic science. It concludes that the event functioned as a space of cultural and informational mediation, culminating in the proposal of a draft Charter and a model for representing six branches of potential research.