about us

Romina Lindëman is passionate about life and nature. An economist, she decided to combine her passion with academic life. Her postgraduate studies in Integral Sustainability at Instituto Visão Futuro. Always restless and dynamic, she has become a network articulator since 2010, through the HubRio initiative. Works with impact entrepreneurship and travel experiences across the Amazon. She loves to create bridge from indigenous people and companies so that ideas can come true and dreams can be realize. She supports the Floresta alive by supporting its guardians.

Jordão de Melo e Souza is Indigenous Celebration’s Liaison for the Yawanawá Tribe, and Chairman of the Indigenous Advisory Committee. Jordão is responsible for preparing feasibility studies for projects proposed by the Indigenous Advisory Committee, and assisting in the implementation of approved projects, such as the Traditional School of Mutum and the Nipeii: Garden of Medicines.

Jordão first made contact with the Yawanawá in 2009 where he began immersing himself with Yawanawá culture, art, and music, studying Yawanawá medicinal plant knowledge and spirituality with the tribe’s elders. Jordão was the last student initiated by Pajé Tata (before his passing in December 2016 at the age of 103).

Jordão’s primary passion at IC is to facilitate journeys to Mutum Village for people around the world, believing deeply in his duty to extend the transformative opportunity he’s received to experience the Amazon forest, and learn the ways of the indigenous cultures that have thrived there for millennia.

Cátia joined our team in mid 2018 as Outreach & Social Media Director. She is responsible for strategizing and driving our media communications platforms.

In 2016 Catia started her journey with Earth Medicine, where she found a new passion connecting her with the ancestral studies of Shamanism.

Today she is a facilitator of Universal Xamanism Medicine Wheel Voo da Aguia, a member of the IAUX ( international alliance universal xamanism), A facilitator of Women Circles and the awakening of the sacred feminine and the visionary and member of Aliança Divina, medicine music band.

Before joining IC, Catia had a career of 19 years in the Hospitality business sector. In her last position as Director of Operations she travelled the world representing the Brand in the sectors of Marketing, Communications and Business Strategies.

Cecília Goẽy Bertalha travels throughout Brazil acting as a Liaison for the Pataxó, Guarani and Kaingang Peoples. Her interests and work include bioconstructing, planting, teaching theater and feminist expression, and as an audiovisual artist. Cecília believes artesanatos (crafts) are an important way for indigenous women to cultivate their economic autonomy and their artistic creativity to maintain some of their traditional culture. Deeply honoring indigenous women’s ways of resisting and flourishing life in their profound simplicity, Cecília is thankful for the opportunity to learn and work with them.

Ana holds a Masters of Fine Arts from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), specializing in Visual Communication and Design. She is passionate about illustration and applying her skills towards projects that foster positive social impact. 

Mariazinha Luiza Yawanawá – Neiweni is one of the oldest daughters of Raimundo Luiz Yawanawá (Tuîkuru), the Yawanawá’s greatest Traditional Leader, and has 16 brothers and sisters. Neiweni was born on December 25, 1968, in the Indigenous Land Rio Gregorio – in the former village of Kaxinawa, Tarauaca of Acre, Brazil, and has one daughter, Kenewma with Leader Biraci Yawanawá.

In 1996, Neiweni founded the village of Mutum with her father and her siblings. In 1997 she was chosen by her father to become the first female Chief, of Mutum Village, a historical moment for the Yawanawá people, since no woman has ever been appointed to such a position of leadership before.

She worked for many years in agriculture along with the families of Mutum Village and empowered her two sisters to enter the spiritual diet of the sacred plant, Muka, as the first women in Yawanawá history to undertake this initiation.

Neiweni is known as the mother to all families, and has become one of the greatest indigenous leaders due to the immense compassion she has for her people.

In the year 2014, she decided to enter a spiritual diet for 1 year, in retreat outside the village with no contact other than with her mother, Matsini and Pajé Tata, in a quest to gain deeper knowledge about her people and Yawanawá spirituality.

After completing the diet, Naiweni returned with renewed force and new inspiration for her people. She began working to realize one of her father’s greatest dreams: to construct a Traditional School; which is now manifesting through her work with Indigenous Celebration.

Débora Luiza Brasil Yawanawá – Kenewma, is the only child of Neiweni, first female chief of Mutum Village, and daughter of Biraci Yawanawá, Chief of Nova Esperança Village. She was born on August 15, 1989 in the Rio Gregorio Indigenous Land, Nova Esperança Village, Tarauca of Acre, Brazil.

Kenewma grew up, very close to her grandfather, Raimundo Luiz Tuikuru, where she spent most of her time studying Saiti, Kene, Shenipahu.

In 2011, after the death of her grandfather, she received the Saiti Yawanawá Shavorã by Matsini Yawanawá and entered the spiritual diet of the sacred plant, Muka, to deepen her traditional and spiritual knowledge of her people. She was trained and initiated at the Samakei Center by the great Yawanawá Spiritual Leader, Anihu Tata Natashini.

Currently Kenewma, works to develop the Yawanawá Artisans Women’s Cooperative, one of the largest projects within the tribe, which has directly helped many of the neediest families. She also lends her support to other social projects, including the construction of nurseries for the reforestation of degraded lands.

Maria Julia Yawanawá, Kenemeni, is the daughter of Raimundo Luiz Yawanawa (Tuîkuru), the Yawanawa’s greatest Traditional Leader, and has 16 brothers and sisters. She was born on June 29, 1981, in the Rio Gregorio Indigenous Land – in the former village of Kaxinawa, Tarauaca of Acre, Brazil. Kenemeni is married, and the mother of seven children, two adopted.

Kenewmeni was encouraged by her father to study outside the village at a young age. She returned to the village at 14 years old and began to work as a teacher at the age of 15 in Mutum.

In 1996, she attended several courses on Indigenous Teaching at the SEE where she finished her studies. In 1999 she began the Project of Medicinal Plants – Nii Pei with her father, to create a place of study and treatment with Medicinal Herbs.

Kenewmeni has dedicated herself to community work within the village, and is currently responsible for the educational development and operation of Yawanawa schools. She also works coordinating logistics for the Samakei Center for her brother, Matsini.

In 2014, she was appointed to the Yawanawá Leadership Council composed of 14 Yawanawá leaders and began coordinating the ongoing Rauti Project of the Women’s Cooperative, which uses crafts made by female Yawanawá artisans as a means of funding development projects in the village, like the Community Garden which aims to offer higher quality food for the community.

Letícia Yawanawá is the founder of SITOARKE, founded in 2015. SITOARKE is an Organization of Indigenous Women of Acre and Southern Amazonas and Northwest of Rondônia rooted in the defense of rights, social promotion and economic empowerment to ensure women’s representation in the various areas of discussion that involves policies directed at indigenous women. SITOARKE Life is a central program initiated due to concerns of industrialized foods. SITOARKE Life focuses on the exchange of experiences and knowledge and the valorization and revitalization of Medicinal Plants, and Traditional Food Safety, and maintaining the Traditional Seeds used by Indigenous Midwives and Shamans.

In 2005, at the head of the Gregorio River in Acre, Hushahu Yawanawá, an indigenous woman of 25 years old, decided to break a taboo in her tradition and started, along with her sister, a women’s revolution in their village.

Up until that moment, no woman had spent one year in isolation as a form of shamanic ritual initiation (dieta) to access the forest’s spiritual knowledge. Seeking directly the teachings of the village’s past elders, Hushahu became a reference in Yawanawá spiritual and artistic knowledge, at a time when her people were undergoing processes of weakening traditional practices due to the strong missionary influence in the indigenous land and culture.

During her dieta, through contact with the forest spirits, Hushahu received different kinds of kene yawanawá and grafismos (sacred designs), and taught the other women of her village. In her immersion she also entered into the study of the making of rauti, ornaments and ritual artifacts, made of feathers, bones, and other materials, bringing strength and renewal to their tradition.

Upon returning from the dieta, she became a reference for other women from within and outside her village, bringing her work and message to far corners of the world.