Forever the Forest

At the heart of the Puyana Village is Pajé Assis Kaxinawá, a renowned spiritual leader who has spent decades preserving and sharing the ancient knowledge of the Huni Kuin. As a Pajé, or shaman, Assis Kaxinawá is entrusted with guiding his people in matters of spirituality and healing. His primary tools are the sacred plant medicines of the Amazon, particularly ayahuasca and rapeh.

“Indigenous Revival: How Sacred Practices Are Reversing Centuries of Cultural and Environmental Exploitation” The renaissance of Hapeh and other indigenous practices, such as Ayahuasca ceremonies and Peyote churches, represents a significant cultural shift that is beginning to counteract the historical processes of appropriation and exploitation of indigenous knowledge. This resurgence is not just about reviving […]

The Forest as a Pharmacy: Indigenous Healing Practices and European Adaptation When European explorers first set foot in the Americas, they encountered not just new lands but a wealth of knowledge embedded within the indigenous cultures. Among the most profound of these were the healing practices rooted deeply in the natural world. For indigenous peoples, […]

In this video, the young singers of the Shaneyawa Saitê group, from Aldeia Nova Vida in Acre, sing the chants of two neighbouring peoples of the Brazilian Amazon: the Yawanawá and the Shanenawa. The video The video was filmed by Luane Bittes of Conexão Indígena, a project that shares the culture of the peoples of […]

“Eskawatã Kayawã” is a chant of the Huni Kuin (Kaxinawá) people of Acre, in the Brazilian Amazon. It is sung in their ceremonies and, more and more, in circles around the world. This recording by Carlos Caruso has been played more than 237,000 times on SoundCloud. Where the chant comes from The words are in […]

Discover the Heartbeat of Our Planet: The Amazon Rainforest The Amazon Rainforest isn’t just a place; it’s a living, breathing miracle of nature. Often called the “lungs of the Earth,” this vast, awe-inspiring forest spreads across eight countries in South America—Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname—and the French overseas region of French Guiana. […]

The Amazon Rainforest is a biodiversity hotspot, harboring a staggering number of species, many of which are endemic to the region. Its vast and complex ecosystems span approximately 5.5 million square kilometers (2.1 million square miles), creating a unique environment that supports a wide variety of life. The sheer number of species in the Amazon […]

“O Sopro do Rapé” (the blow of hapé) is a song about the moment at the heart of every hapé circle: when one person blows the medicine for another. It is sung in Portuguese by Welber Marron, and it carries a second name, “Força do Rapé”, the strength of hapé. The song This recording by […]

“Reza do Vento” (prayer of the wind) is a song by the Brazilian singer Ale de Maria, from her 2018 album Mãe D’água (Mother of the Waters). We first shared it here in January 2024, and it has been played more than 50,000 times on SoundCloud. The song “Reza do Vento” is Ale de Maria’s […]

“Vem Jiboia” (come, boa) is a música de rezo, a prayer song, that calls on the jiboia: the boa of the Amazon forest. This version, “Vem Jiboia II”, has been played more than 48,000 times on SoundCloud. The song “Vem Jiboia II” was written by Paulo Henrique, who also plays the percussion, and is sung […]