05, three young leaders of the Amazonian Huni Kuin tribe brought the traditional ritual of Nixi Pãe (ayahuasca) for the first time to the large urban centers of Brazil. Txana Bane (Fabiano Sales), Yawa Bane (Leopardo Sales) and Zé Bane (José Sales), sons of chief Siã (José Osair Sales), were pioneers in bringing the teachings of the forest to the Brazilian cities of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. Having been touched by these initial gatherings, a small group formed in Rio de Janeiro, seeking to strengthen their connection with Huni Kuin spirituality.

In these first years, the group began to feel the call to experience the Nixi Pae rituals at their source, in the Huni Kuin villages. Some of us began to visit the indigenous villages of Jordão and Tarauacá, strengthening our connection with the people, their culture, and their leaders, including chief Siã (José Osair Sales), Txaná Ixã (Virgulino Sales) and the late pajé Ika Murú (Agostinho), whose vision of the need to safeguard the tradition of the elderly shamans (“pajés”), inspired the creation of the group of Huni Kuin Guardians of Rio de Janeiro, led by the young Huni Kuin leader Txana Bane.

By 2009 the group was already known for organizing Huni Kuin ceremonies in Rio de Janeiro and the movement gained new momentum after contact with the Yawanawa people. The visit of a special entourage, with the presence of the chief Nixiwaka (Biraci Brasil), female leader Putanny and the elderly pajé Yawa established a strong bond with the “Wild Boar” people (Yawanawa). This relationship intensified in the following years, to the point of affectionately calling ourselves Huni-Yawas.

Guardians – A collective of seekers united by the transformational potential of sacred plant medicines, especially Ayahuasca, or Nixi Pãe / Uni. We work for the dissemination of ancestral knowledge, within a traditional indigenous context.

Our principal focus are the Nixi Pãe / Uni rituals, seeking to strengthen the connection between the forest and city. Additionally to the rituals, the Huni Kuin Guardians participate in and promote various projects related to indigenous culture, including festivals in the villages, spiritual retreats in the forest, exhibitions in cultural centers and museums, tradicional song gatherings, handicraft shows, book publishing, international tours, and others.

We develop and support projects for sustainability and cultural preservation in the Amazon, mostly (but not limited to) the Brazilian state of Acre, with the Huni Kuin and Yawanawá tribes.

We work for the articulation of a global web of support for indigenous tribes, with the understanding that they are nature’s true guardians and the custodians of an ancestral wisdom, essential to the contemporary world.