"To preserve the rain forest without preservation of shamanic knowledge of the plants in the forest would be to cut ourselves off from cures for present and future diseases. In order to preserve that knowledge and ensure that it is passed on from generations, we must also preserve cultural diversity." (Brush and Stabinsky 1996:168)

The purpose of this honors thesis is to explore the problems anthropologists and ethnobotanists/biologists face while researching indigenous, traditional knowledge. These problems are becoming prominent due to the uprise of the commercialization of genetic resources and enterprises based upon biodiversity prospecting. This, in turn, causes an increased interest in traditional knowledge. Inevitable problems begin to arise concerning, for example, intellectual property rights and appropriate compensation to cultures for such knowledge. This paper will focus on and explore contemporary solutions that can be established for the successful collaboration of indigenous knowledge with the global drug industry. It will attempt to determine what must be done in order to preserve knowledge and cultures while contributing to overall health worldwide.