Daniel Puig

Archetype

Conscious troubadour. Leading in the dark with music and words as light.

Role

Medicine man. Guardian and musician of sacred ceremony space.

Personal Journey

My name is Daniel; also, I am called “Achu” (monkey spirit) by my jungle family. I am originally from Caracas, Venezuela, and have lived in Europe since 2010. 

My path in medicine began when I was twenty years old, exploring the sacred Magic Mushrooms in the Venezuelan Andes. I started my medicine path with Yagé (Ayahuasca), walking by the hands of the Lucitante and Descanse families, the ones who taught me and gave me permission to serve medicine. I shared with Taita Alexander Queta (grandson and cook of Taita Mayor Querubín Queta Alvarado), who showed me his medicine and ways of serving, and Taita Samith Osorio, a good friend who has taught me how to prepare medicine, serve, and guide people to heal—all of them from the Cofán tradition in Putumayo jungle (Colombia).

I like to work with transparency, humbleness, and -of course- good music. There is always space to share joy and healing, always walking this path of Yagé with honor and discipline. I serve with my family in ceremonies, and together, we co-create wonderful moments and walk the tradition that our Cofán elders taught us every time we visit them in the jungle.

My passion is to guide people to heal through music and words. My mantra for the ceremony is “You are not alone”. And I work from love and simplicity, bringing into the room the strength and tenderness of the sacred masculine.

About Cofán indigenous people

According to the Cofán story – At first, there was nothing. Only the God Chiga existed; he created the Sun and Moon. From a bright face that has two stars for eyes, he gave birth to plants and animals. And at the end, he said: “It is time to call the people”. He called to them with a shout. People adorned with colorful feathers and fragrant flowers came out of nowhere. They said: “We are the Cofán”. The Sun and his wife, the Moon, move across the sky in a canoe and cover it once a day, illuminating the universe.

The Cofán indigenous people are 2,100 souls native to Sucumbíos Province, northeast Ecuador, and southern Colombia. The Cofán (also Quijos) are itinerant horticulturists, fishermen, and hunter-gatherers. They grow corn, cassava, bananas, beans, chili peppers, coffee, rice, and fruit trees. Some men work as day laborers on the settlers’ farms. In Ecuador, they are dedicated to the construction of fiberglass canoes. They are small-scale farmers. The women are dedicated to elaborating and commercializing seeds, natural fibers, and clay handicrafts.

Their relationship with nature is harmonious. They are its protectors and guardians. They are caretakers of the people, an example of peace and brotherhood. Their language, exclusively oral and in imminent danger of extinction, is called A’ingae, and it could not be classified within any linguistic families. A’ingae is an aboriginal language unique in its lineage and kept alive in most communities in daily communication. Most of the Cofán people also speak Spanish.

Like other indigenous peoples inhabiting the region, they are very close to medicinal and magical plants. The Taita (dad, shaman) or Mayor (elder) is one of the most important figures in the Cofán social organization, they are the highest traditional authority, and the Yagé (Ayahuasca) is fundamental in its system of representation. The Cofán Taitas enjoy great recognition among other indigenous peoples for their extensive knowledge of Yagé. They are considered teachers and great sages, for which they are revered.

Yagé is used in ritual contexts for fortune-telling, decision-making, conflict resolution, and medical treatment. Diseases in Cofán cosmology are divided between those of physical and magical or supernatural origin. The Yagé is also a means for the diagnosis of conditions, the knowledge of pulses, urine, visualization, and the management of the huaira. According to the National Indigenous Organization of Colombia, for the Cofán, education, and culture are founded on four pillars: the thought of the elderly, native languages, sacred plants, and the norms and values of culture.

The Cofán are presently in control of almost 4,000 km² of rainforest. It is only a fraction of the more than 30,000 km² originally belonging to their former nation. In Ecuador, their ancestral lands have been polluted mainly by oil companies. In Colombia, Cofán lands have been invaded by cattle ranchers, coca farmers, and oil companies.

Currently, their organization is based in the community. Their union constituted the Indigenous Organization of the Cofán of Ecuador, OINCE, which reformed its statutes to form the Indigenous Federation of the Cofán Nationality of Ecuador, FEINCE.