Michael Stuart Ani is a writer, musician, director and explorer.  In the 1960s and 1970s, he lived in Mazateca's remote cloud forest and became the only outsider who was ever allowed to collect the sacred mushroom species of the region.  In the 1980s, he resided with the Yanomami people of the Amazon Rainforest, later co-founding the Amazonia Foundation in 1991.  With this foundation, he was instrumental in fighting the epidemics among the Yanomami.  This work was subsequently featured in the 1994 documentary, Yanomami, Keepers of the Flame, which won the US Environmental Film Festival's Best Documentary of the Year.   He also directed the documentary Coming Home, about the repatriation of pure American Bison to the Lakota people of South Dakota.   After many years guiding explorers through the remote parts of the Amazon, Ani was inducted into the Explorers Society under the guidance of Sir Edmund Hilary and Thor Hyerdahl. Michael is also the author of The Ghost Dance (2016), which was featured in Episode 123.  This just barely scratches the surface of Michael's remarkable journey.  His complete bio is at: www.michaelstuartani.com This podcast is available on your favorite podcast platform, or here:  https://endoftheroad.libsyn.com/episode-273-michael-stuart-ani-indigenous-ritualsthe-yanomamimazatecaspirit-guides Episode 123 which featured Ghost Dance, is available here:  https://endoftheroad.libsyn.com/episode-123-michael-stuart-ani-ghost-danceindigenous-ceremonies-with-entheogensthe-healing-gardentalking-plantsspirit-guides Have a blessed week!