Event Description

We invite you to join us for a special evening with the Huni Kuin People of the Brazilian Amazon. We have the honor and joy of receiving Youth Spiritual leader Nawa Siã and his wife, Yaka Banu, from Pinuya Village. The evening will have a special conversation between the Huni Kuin and the executive director of Chacruna Institute, Bia Labate, followed by live music from the Huni Kuin expressed in both traditional and contemporary forms, creating a space of celebration, culture, and connection. Participants will also have the chance to shop at the Indigenous Mercado.

The Huni Kuin People

The Huni Kuin, also known as “The True People” and/or “People of the Smoke,” are an Indigenous people that live in the Brazilian state of Acre and the border of Peru. They are part of the Pano linguistic family, which includes other indigenous groups in Brazil, Peru, and Bolivia. The Huni Kuin have a rich cultural heritage that includes shamanism, storytelling, music, and art. With a population of more than 25,000 people, they have one of the largest populations of Indigenous Peoples in Brazil. Their territory is spread over 5 municipalities (Tarauaca, Feijó, Santa Rosa, Jordão, and Marechal Thaumaturgo) and over 100 villages. They have faced many challenges throughout their history, including colonization by the Catholic Church and land invasions/theft and forced labor by rubber tappers and miners, but after many years of resistance and fighting for their rights, and a process of rediscovering their ancestral wisdom and practices, they are now in a new era. An era of Indigenous rights, defending and revitalizing their culture, and spreading their messages as stewards of the rainforest all around the world as a stand against climate change. They're now dedicated to preserving and reviving their rich heritage with festivals, gatherings, and the passing of wisdom from elders to the youth. They're renowned for their plant medicine expertise and have inspired interest in their traditions worldwide as well as respect for their contribution to Amazon conservation.Today, many of their leaders travel the world forming alliances with organizations, activists, artists, and supporters to share their music and culture, secure economic advancement for their people, and advocate for the preservation of the Amazon Rainforest.

Nawa Siã

Nawá Siã Huni Kuin is a spiritual leader from Pinuya Village and a recognized musician whose work is rooted in the sacred traditions of his people. From a young age, his life has been dedicated to the study of sacred chants and spiritual teachings of the Huni Kuin. For over eleven years, he has shared this knowledge, along with music and prayer, in many states of Brazil and in several countries around the world. Since the age of seventeen, Nawá Siã has traveled to share his teachings through ceremony and song. His melodies and rhythms are inspired by the strength of the forest and the wisdom of his ancestors. This will be his third tour in the United States. On this journey, he is traveling with his family, including his wife, Yaka, and his daughter, Kaya. Nawá Siã carries the strength, energy, and hope of a new generation of Indigenous spiritual leaders and inspires young people to follow the path of Huni Kuin spirituality and learn from the teachings of their elder, Pajé Kupi Huni Kuin. 

Yaka Banu

Yaka Banu Huni Kuin, born in the Pinuya village, is a talented artist and a female leader of the women’s group Mawa Isa Keneya. Her work not only promotes gender equality but also strengthens the ancestral traditions of Indigenous women. She has already toured several times throughout Brazil and Europe, sharing her art and prayers. This will be her first journey to the United States, traveling together with her husband, Nawá Siã. Guided by a spirit of learning and sharing, Yaka continues to deepen her knowledge while offering her artistic and spiritual teachings to different communities. Her main source of wisdom is her grandfather, Pajé Kupi, who transmits the ancestral values that inspire and guide her work.

Bia Labate

Beatriz Caiuby Labate is an anthropologist, educator, author, speaker, and activist, committed to the protection of sacred plants while amplifying the voices of marginalized communities in the psychedelic science field. As a queer Brazilian anthropologist based in San Francisco, she has been profoundly influenced by her experiences with ayahuasca since 1996. Dr. Labate has a Ph.D. in social anthropology from the University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in Brazil. Her work focuses on plant medicines, drug policy, shamanism, ritual, religion, and social justice. She is the Executive Director of the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines and serves as a Senior Advisor for Culture and Strategy at the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). Additionally, she is a Visiting Scholar at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley and acts as advisor for around 15 organizations, among them the Veteran Mental Health Leadership Coalition, Soltara Healing Center, Sacred Plant Alliance, and the Alaska Entheogenic Awareness Council. Dr. Labate is also a co-founder of the Interdisciplinary Group for Psychoactive Studies (NEIP) in Brazil and the editor of its site. She has authored, co-authored, and co-edited 29 books, three special-edition journals, and numerous peer-reviewed and online publications.

Nawabu Culture

Nawabu Culture is a fiscally sponsored LLC social impact organization with a mission to bring about transformative social change through Indigeneity, arts and culture, community, and spirituality. We partner with Indigenous leaders from the Brazilian Amazon and support them in cultural preservation, creating economic opportunities, and amplifying their environmental stewardship through a variety of projects. Nawabu’s work is also aimed at creating sacred spaces for healing and solidarity across communities for individual and collective liberation. 

Follow Nawabu Culture on Instagram @nawabuculture
Click HERE to subscribe to our email list to stay up to date with our offerings.