Indigenous peoples across the world are some of the most marginalized in society. They are often poorer, less educated, and have worse health indicators than the general population. Distance, the location of health facilities, and the isolation of indigenous communities pose major barriers for accessing health services. Another key issue is the lack of cultural sensitivity and appropriateness of the care delivered. The health system in Brazil is shaped according to western, scientific values (De Moura-Pontes, Garnelo & Rego, 2014). This is in stark contrast to the perception of health and illness held by indigenous peoples, who define well-being more broadly than merely the absence of disease. Indigenous traditional medicine practices are passed down through generations and heavily depend on the land, food and availability of medicinal plants (Montenegro & Stephens, 2006). The fusion of western and traditional medical practices has yet to occur and there has been a lack of recognition by official health authorities of the role of indigenous health workers. Despite indigenous community health agents’ vast knowledge in traditional medicine and their embeddedness in the communities, the role of indigenous health agents has been significantly limited. In Latin America, indigenous peoples represent over 400 different ethnic groups and comprise 10% of the total population (Montenegro & Stephens, 2006). The 2010 Brazilian census estimated the presence of approximately 900 000 indigenous Brazilians.