The prickly pear cactus has been used for thousands of years for food and medicinal purposes, mostly by Native Americans. The cactus and its fruit, known as “tuna,” are raised commercially around the world. There are approximately 350 varieties. The pads of the cactus are eaten as a vegetable and called nopalito or nopales. On the pads grow small red pears that are very flavorful.

Channel Seven has lost a three-year legal battle with broadcasting authorities over a current affairs program it aired in 2011 which was deemed to be an inaccurate and racist portrayal of a Brazilian tribe who lived in the Amazon. The battle to overturn the Australian Communications and Media Authority’s original ruling was lost last week when the full federal court dismissed Channel Seven’s appeal and ordered it to pay Acma’s costs.

Years ago I met a young Amazonian shaman, or spiritual leader, on his first visit to London. As we went down the escalator into the London Underground I could see he was nervous. All these white people rushing around under the city must be spirits or ghosts, he said. When we emerged, he was himself nearly white, shaken from his cosmological introduction to Britain.

The U.S. restoring diplomatic ties with Cuba, severed by Washington more than 50 years ago, dominated the annual end-of-year ritual of Peru's shamans on Monday (December 29) as they made predictions and offered prayers for 2015. Surrounded by yellow and red flowers, the medicine men sang and danced on a Lima beach, focusing their attention on U.S. and Cuban flags as well as photographs of Cuban President Raul Castro and U.S. President Barack Obama.

For the first time, the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida shared one of their most sacred dances to the public, signaling they are opening the doors to their culture and traditions. During the 40th annual Miccosukee Indian Arts & Crafts Festival at the tribe’s Indian village west of Miami-Dade County, the public got to see tribe members perform a stomp dance.