Launch: June 2025.
Completion: February 2026.
Total raised: $2000 USD (about 10,500 Brazilian reals).
We launched this initiative after Sam returned from his studies in Mutum over the winter.
He shared:
“As many of you know, I spent this past winter in deep retreat with the Yawanawá people of the Brazilian Amazon, specifically in the village of Mutum. The transformation that unfolded during my time there was profound, and the integration process continues to reveal beauty and insight in unexpected ways.
What touched me most in Mutum was the immense generosity and heart of the Yawanawá people. Among the many gifts I received, the most significant emerged through the sacred spiritual diets I undertook. Under the guidance of the village chief and Pajé (shaman), Matsini Yawanawa, I witnessed a level of mastery, humility, and dedication to the Yawanawá tradition that moved me deeply. Matsini’s commitment to preserving and evolving the spiritual path of his people is nothing short of inspiring.
His service is rooted in the spiritual diets and the healing practices of his lineage. To support this sacred work, Matsini built a dedicated diet center just outside the main village — an oasis where both Yawanawa and foreigners can retreat into silence, communion, and healing in the heart of the forest.
During my time there, I watched Matsini personally invest in improving the diet center. When he saw that dieters were suffering from insect bites during ceremony, he installed protective mosquito netting around the ceremonial Shuhu. After the conclusion of the diet and the annual Vivência (festival), he made further enhancements — clearing jungle paths to deter snakes, reinforcing the huts, and installing solar panels to support the kitchen with electricity for food storage and charging phones.
It was clear that the resources from our exchange — whether through diets or festival participation — were being poured directly back into the center to enhance the experience for all. And still, more support is needed. While I was fortunate to have my own hut, others had to share, which is less than ideal for such deep spiritual work.
With this in mind, we are dedicating 11% of all proceeds from our offerings — including song circle donations and Tribe Shop purchases— directly to the continued development of Matsini’s diet center in Mutum. These contributions will uplift and support the sacred work of the Yawanawa people, enhancing the experience for both international visitors and Yawanawa initiates entering into the forest for spiritual study.”
This was our biggest initiative to date, and we know that the funds were incredibly impactful for supporting the diet center, and therefore all who come to study there.
