The News-Times/ Chris Ware

In the winter of 2003 Elisabeth Levy was sallow and wan, with dull eyes and unsteady on her feet. She was suffering from debilitating Lyme disease.
Today, Levy's complexion is bright and clear. With bright eyes that engage, she is quick to comment and sure in her gait.
Levy credits much of her recovery to visits to Ecuador where she has worked with a traditional South American healer, Juan Uyunkar. She has made two trips to Ecuador to be treated by Uyunkar and plans a third trip in December.
``Juan does not like to be called a shaman, although he is one as well,'' Levy said. ``In Ecuador, shamen are traditionally solely involved with using rituals to heal to the exclusion of more medicinal treatments. Juan works with a concentration of healing herbs, antibiotics and vitamin therapy. His treatments are very eclectic.''

Levy met Uyunkar through a physician friend of hers whose wife had been treated by Uyunkar when he was in Canada.
``My ears perked when my friend told me how his wife went from requiring assistance to make her way from the car to Juan's office (in Canada) to hiking up what is considered a respectable hill and sledding back down several times,'' Levy said. ``She had made more improvement in those few days of working with Juan than she had in several years of employing all of the conventional and non-conventional treatments available in the United States.''
In May 2004, Levy went to Ecuador for the first time, traveling with her friends, to meet and be treated by Uyunkar. She spent three weeks there undergoing an intensive regimen of care.
As well as the vitamins, herbs and antibiotics that Uyunkar administered, he did hands-on treatment, doing acupuncture on Levy's fingers, various forms of massage, hydrotherapy, vibration therapy with tuning forks, and focusing on nutrition in Levy's diet. He also used music therapy, with traditional Ecuadorian music.

Uyunkar has been trained since birth as an ``Uwishin'' doctor. He is a member of the Shuar people, a tribe in the rain forest of Eucador with roots going back thousands of years.
He also studied western medicine in North America and incorporates the two. He is learning about Lyme disease as he treats Levy and her friend.
After Levy's first trip to Ecuador, she felt her progress had been so dramatic that she went off her regimen of antibiotics after consulting with her New York physician. This proved disastrous. She had a major relapse, nearly requiring hospitalization.
``I was doing a lot in my life. Pulling my life back on track. I thought I was just tired from being so busy. I was preparing my photography submission for The Aldrich Museum's `Radius Emerging Artist' competition. I was doing a lot,'' said Levy, who got into The Aldrich show.
As soon as she had her strength back, Levy returned to Ecuador. That was February of this year.
``Again, I had a lot of improvement. I stayed on the antibiotics this time and my improvement has been sustained,'' Levy said.
Levy's treatments with Uyunkar begin at 5 a.m. and continue on for several hours. Some of the herbal medicines he uses draw the toxins from her system, causing her to purge them, Levy explained.
``Juan uses herbal combinations that the Shuar people have been using for thousands of years,'' she said. ``He does some ritualistic healing as well, calling on the earth spirit, `Mama Nunkui.' Like Native American tribes, the Shuar are in touch with spirits of the earth and call on them.''
Levy's trips take her to the village of Guangopolo, about a one hour drive from the capital of Ecuador, Quito. The village is rural and beautiful, she said, lying in the Andes mountains.

Doctors at a CANCER hospital in ROMANIA CURED 2 lyme patients (with early onset) by restoring deficient Mg levels...but THAT abstract is not on Pubmed...and another treatment ($$$) was "removed"...

Truth will prevail...thanks to the power of the internet.

Ours is not the ONLY country to be impacted by this and other diseases. It is a world concern.

We do indeed need to "watch" how other countries are approaching the cure(s) for this disease and others.

This article is from the Manitoulin Expositor, a newspaper on Manitoulin Island, which is located in Canada in Lake Huron. I posted the website above.
Ann - OH

ARCHIVE April 30, 2003
Ecuadorian healers see day in court

by Michael Erskine
WIKWEMIKONG---It has been a year and a half since highly respected Wikwemikong Elder Jean (Jane) Maiangowi, 71, began her spirit
journey, a year and a half of unresolved grief for her family and friends, and a year and a half of enforced exile in a foreign land for the two Shuar shaman who presided over the Ayahuasca healing ceremony at which she collapsed and died.

Justice Gerald Michel delivered his verdict in a case which the lawyers involved had called 'difficult' and which the judge himself declared 'nearly impossible.'

The case was heard before the Ontario Court of Justice, in the Wikwemikong Tribal Council Chambers.

The two medicine men, Juan Uyunkar, 49, and Edgar Uyunkar, 22, pled guilty to one federal charge, Trafficking in a Controlled Substance as defined under Schedule 3 of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, and one provincial charge of Administering a Noxious Substance.

The remaining charges, Criminal Negligence Causing Death, Importing into Canada a Controlled Substance and Possession of a Controlled Substance, were dropped in a negotiated plea.

The noxious substance in question was referred to as a mixture of harmaline (the psycho-active ingredient contained in the South American vines used) and tobacco. The substance was intended to purge the participants bodies of impurities and to induce visions to be spiritually interpreted. Called Ayahuasca, the substance has been a main ingredient in Shuar healing ceremonies for millennia and is regarded by the Indigenous peoples of the Amazon as a sacred medicine.

Maria Alice (Connie) Ventura, 32, of Manitowaning, the Canadian woman who had acted as interpreter for the two medicine men from Ecuador during the healing ceremonies, and who had also been charged in the aftermath of Mrs. Maiangowi's death, had all charges against her dropped.

Juan Uyunkar, the lead shaman and the man who Justice Michel said was clearly in charge of the ceremonies, received a 12 month conditional sentence, and a further 12 months of probation which he will serve in
the community.

He will be required to serve 150 hours of community service, to be determined by a supervisor.

Juan's son Edgar, who Justice Michel said acted under the direction of his father, received a 12 month conditional sentence and one day in jail, time served.

The decision means that Juan will have to remain in the community,away from his family in Ecuador, until at least November 13, at which time he can apply to the court to be allowed to return home for a visit.

He will be required to return to Canada to serve the remainder of his sentence.

Edgar Uyunkar will be allowed to return home to his own family, including a daughter who was barely three months old when he last saw
her, 18 months ago. (end quote)

I think it was unfortunate that he did this outside his country. He would be protected in his country. Ahayuasca does indeed have a tradition as a sacred herb by the shamans. I have read lots of stories and books about it and find it completely fascinating though never tempted myself (you have to throw up and get very sick.)

I do believe Eucador has laws against causing death by using drugs irresponsibly. I sure hope so, as I have relatives who live there.