Local Time
- Timezone: America/New_York
- Date: Nov 10 2023 - Nov 17 2023
- Time: 06:00 - 16:00
YAWANAWA – NOVEMBER 1st WEEK RETREAT
To find out all the information about our retreats!
September 10th - Friday
- Morning gathering in Rio de Janeiro and 2 hour road trip to the mountains of Itaipava -Akasha Retreat Center.
- Evening purification – sweatlodge in the Lakota
tradition.
November 11th - Saturday
- Morning introductions and integration circle.
- Evening Traditional Yawanawa Uni Ceremony, chants, dances and prayers. Medicines of Uni (ayahuasca), Hapé (tobacco snuff) and Sananga (eye drops).
November 12th - Sunday
- Cultural/spiritual activities in the afternoon
November 13th- Monday
- Cultural/spiritual activities in the morning
- Evening Traditional Yawanawa Uni Ceremony, chants, dances and prayers. Medicines of Uni (ayahuasca), Hapé (tobacco snuff) and Sananga (eye drops).
November 14th - Tuesday
- Cultural/spiritual activities in the afternoon.
November 15th - Wednesday
- Cultural/spiritual activities in the morning
- Evening Traditional Yawanawa Uni Ceremony,chants, dances and prayers. Medicines of Uni (ayahuasca), Hapé (tobacco snuff) and Sananga (eye drops).
November 16th - Thursday
- Afternoon integration circle
- Evening Drum Circle and Songs of the Lakota Tradition
November 17th - Friday
- Afternoon 2 hour road trip to Rio de Janeiro and Galeão International Airport
* Please note the program is subject to changes.
In addition to the ceremonies the retreat will also include:
– Spiritual teachings
– Traditional activities
– Hapé (tobacco snuff) Storytelling circles
– Face and body paintings
– Herbal sauna Daily breakfast, lunch and dinner
Click the link to sign up:
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.
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
Nawashahu is the eldest daughter of Putannyand 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.
MUKASHAHU YAWANAWA
Mukashahu is the youngest daughter of Yawanawa chiefs Nixiwaká and Putanny, she comes from a long lineage of indigenous leaders and medicine man and women and has been raised to be a leader of the Yawanawa people in the future. She lives in the Sacred Village of the Yawanawá people where she learns Yawanawa language, spirituality, history and the songs. From early age she mastered the acoustic guitar and now in her teenager years brings out a strong voice ready to accompany her sisters and her mother.
MUKAVEINE YAWANAWA
Mukaveine is referred to as the “Little Chief”. He is the youngest son of Yawanawa chiefs Nixiwaká and Putanny and thus comes from a long lineage of indigenous leaders and medicine men and women. Mukaveine has the name of the prophet of the Yawanawá who received visions of the invasion of white men and how powerful they were. The prophet thus instructed the Yawanawa people to form alliances with the invading people and not war. “Little Chief” Mukaveine is thus expected and raised to be a leader of the Yawanawa people in the future. He lives in the Sacred Village of the Yawanawá people where she learns Yawanawa language, spirituality, history and knows many songs of his people.
SAKU
Saku is a very powerful medicine man of the Marubo nation in the Amazon Forest of Brazil, although of young age. He is now working with Nixiwaká and Putanny in Yawanawá ceremonies, assisting them in the healing of participants. In the Marubo nation medicine men and women identify the children who will continue their work and they start doing healing work at very young age. Saku started when he was age 4 and recently have uccessfully healed patients of diseases which their doctors in hospitals told them there was no cure due to its advanced stage.
Saku has for decades deeply studied the indigenous spirituality of his people, having undergone thru very strict dietas to serve as channels for the healing of his patients. He is a master of ancient spiritual codes and techniques which he uses on the patient’s body and spirit to bless him/her in the way needed.
HUKÊ NÊTÊ
Saku is a very powerful medicine man of the Marubo nation in the Amazon Forest of Brazil, although of young age. He is now working with Nixiwaká and Putanny in Yawanawá ceremonies, assisting them in the healing of participants. In the Marubo nation medicine men and women identify the children who will continue their work and they start doing healing work at very young age. Saku started when he was age 4 and recently have uccessfully healed patients of diseases which their doctors in hospitals told them there was no cure due to its advanced stage.
Saku has for decades deeply studied the indigenous spirituality of his people, having undergone thru very strict dietas to serve as channels for the healing of his patients. He is a master of ancient spiritual codes and techniques which he uses on the patient’s body and spirit to bless him/her in the way needed.
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.
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.