
Local Time
- Timezone: America/New_York
- Date: Sep 11 2021 - Sep 18 2021
- Time: 06:00 - 16:00
YAWANAWA SEPTEMBER 2021 Event 2
SEP 11th Saturday
- Morning arrival at Rio de Janeiro international airport of Galeão.
- Group gathering at airport and two hour road trip to the mountains of Itaipava – AKASHA Retreat Center.
- Night – Evening purification Temazcal – Lakota Tradition.
SEP 12th Sunday
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Morning – Amazon Medicine of Purification.
- Evening – integration circle.
- Night – Vening Traditional Yawanawa Uni Ceremony, chants, dances and prayers. Medicines of Uni (ayahuasca), Rumê (Rapé) and Sananga (eye drop).
SEP 13th Monday
- Cultural activity throughout the day.
SEP 14th Tuesday
- Morning – Amazon Medicine of Purification.
- Evening – Traditional Yawanawa Ceremony with songs, dances and prayers. Medicines of
Uní (Ayahuasca), Rapé and Sananga (eye drops).
SEP 15th Wednesday
- Cultural activity throughout the day.
SEP 16th Thursday
- Morning – Amazon Medicine of Purification.
- Night – Traditional Yawanawa Uni Ceremony, chants, dances and prayers. Medicines of Uni (ayahuasca), Rumê (Rapé) and Sananga (eye drop).
SEP 17th Friday
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Afternoon – Integration Circle.
- Night – Purification at Inipi (Tent of Sweat) in the Lakota tradition.
SEP 18th Saturday
- Afternoon – Transport Akasha – Rio de Janeiro (2h trip) for those returning home;
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Night – Purification at Inipi (Tent ofsweat) in the Lakota tradition for those who will stay for the next retreat.
In addition to the main ceremonies the program shall also organicly include:
– Rumê (Rapé) circles,
– Story telling circles
– Face and body paintings,
– Herbal sauna,
– exhibition of selected movies/documentaries.
– Daily organic breakfast, lunch and supper.
INDIGENOUS CHIEF

BIRACI BRASIL NIXIWAKA
Biraci Nixiwaka is one of the most relevant indigenous leaders of our time. He has dedicated his life to reclaiming his people’s ancient culture and spirituality. After reconquering the rights over their ancestral territory, Nixiwaka, alongside his family, led the opening of their culture to the outside world. It’s main element is the Yawa Festival, which is held annually since 2002 in the village of Nova Esperança (“New Hope”). In the past years he has spent most of his time in the Sacred Village, dedicated to spirituality and healing, receiving teachings from the elders, in order to carry on the Yawanawa legacy. In his few journeys out of his village to represent his people, he’s also visited other spiritual leaders around the world and has partaken in the sharing of many cultural traditions.

PUTANNY YAWANAWA
Daughter of the legendary Yawanawa leader Tuin Kuru, Putanny and her sister Hushahu were the first women of the Yawanawa nation to receive the highest spiritual initiation from the elders. They earned their communities’ respect as spiritual leaders, opening the way into this sacred path for other Yawanawá women. It was a break in tradition that united the male and female universe, and brought the magic of feminine spirituality to strengthen the Yawanawá culture. For this achievement, they received a commendation from the Brazilian senate as recognition of their important role in Brazilian women’s empowerment.
Putanny has an incredible voice and presence, representing her people’s ancestry. She spent a good portion of the past years in the Sacred Village, where she organizes spiritual retreats.

BIRACI JR ISKU KUA
For many years Isku Kua has been supporting his father chief Nixiwaka in the administration of tribal affairs. Today, together with his brothers and sisters, he is responsible for their main village, Nova Esperança (“New Hope”), with a population of 400 people. Isku Kua represents the young generation and has already been through the higher spiritual initiations of the tradition. He is also a talented musician and guitar player who has been conducting ceremonies in Europe and the United States in past years.

PEÛ YAWANAWA
Peû is one of the most devoted spiritual leaders from the younger generation of the Yawanawa people. He committed to the sacred samakei (diet), the Yawanawa’s highest spiritual initiation, for five consecutive years. In this period he received direct teachings from the elders Tata and Yawa, who have recently passed away.
His studies with the elders brought exceptional strength to his work with the sacred healing prayers of his ancestry. Today Peû is responsible for preparing and serving the medicines in the Sacred Village. He is also a talented musician, and has traveled to Europe, North America and Asia sharing Yawanawa spirituality.

NAWASHAHU YAWANAWA
Nawashahu is the eldest daughter of Putanny and Biraci Nixiwaka. She has been brought up to become a leader. Nawa and her sister Ykashahu have been very dedicated to their studies of Yawanawa spirituality, dieting with the elders and always seeking to learn more from the leaders of the tribe. Nawashahu is a guardian of this knowledge and a very talented singer, who has accompanied her parents in their work and travels outside the villages since early ages.

YKASHAHU YAWANAWA
Yka is the middle daughter of Biraci Nixiwaka and Putanny. Since a very young age, Ykashahu has been following the footsteps of her parents, and nowadays travels around Brazil and abroad to share her people’s culture and spirituality. With an amazing voice and beautiful guitar playing, she represents the talented younger Yawanawa generation, as well as the
incredible feminine power of the tribe.

TUIN KURU
Tuin Kuru is also one of the few men from the younger generation of the Yawanawa who committed to the sacred Samakai (diet), their highest spiritual initiation. He is a nephew of chief Nixiwaka and brother of Pe˚, being one of the most talented musicians and guitar players of the Yawanawa people. After almost ten years, Tuin Kuru returns to Rio de Janeiro to take part in this very special retreat.

VIMI YUVE
Vimi Yuve is daughter of chief Nixiwaka and wife of Tuin Kuru, having from young age being influenced by the deep commitment of her father to the Yawanawa spiritual path. Following the path opened by Putanny to the Yawanawa women, Vimi Yuve became a great musician and singer of the new generation of Nova Esperança Village.

MUKASHAHU & MUKAVEINE YAWANAWA
Are the youngest daughter and son of Biraci Nixiwaka and Putanny. They come from a long lineage of indigenous leaders and medicine men, and are being raised as such by their parents. They both sing their traditional songs and Mukashahu also plays the guitar, flute and charango. They have been accompanying their family in their travels and prayers around the world.

WAKIA UN MANEE
Wakia Un Manee is a full blooded Klamath/Modoc native of North America, medicine man, sundancer and leader of the Vision Quest and Inipi (Sweat Lodge) ceremony. From a young age he was brought up with the Lakota and Ojibway, so his work has been largely influenced by the traditions and culture of these two nations. Wakia graduated in psychology and political sciences and also studied theology. He founded and developed non-profit charitable organizations within various communities. As an activist, Wakia stood on the front lines, fought and defended the rights of native peoples, as well as environmental and ecological issues. His work is focused on empowering people to recognize and understand their own capabilities.

ADRIANA OCELOT
Adriana Ocelot is a medicine woman, sweat lodge leader, sun dancer in Tamoanchan ñ Mexico and Crow Dog’s Paradise – USA, leader of Vision Quest,moon dancer at Ollintlahuimeztli in Teotihuacan – México. Guardian of a RedMoon Temple for women’s retreats, healer in traditional native technique and in the use of medicinal plants.