Hi! We are the Aîbaibu Kayawai collective!

Aîbaibu Kayawai means “Women Who Heal” in the indigenous Hãtxa Kuin language.

We’re a group of indigenous women from the Amazon rainforest who have joined forced with other Brazilian women from urban areas to protect forest, support the wellbeing of indigenous communities, and preserve their ancestral traditions. As ancient profecies from many cultures have foretold: “This is the time when all people will unite to protect Mother Earth”.

Indigenous peoples are among the planet’s most effective guardians of nature, thank to their deep-rooted ways of living in harmony with the environment. Standing in solidarity with them, advocating for their rights and nurturing their communities is essencial to ensuring the wellbeing of all people worldwide. That’s why we’re here: to unite our energies and gather resources to meet a vital need in the village: The construction of a Maloca.

A Maloca, called “Shubuã” in their traditional language, is the heart of the community life. It is a sacred space that hosts rituals, ceremonies, communal gatherings, and also provides shelter for the women and men who carry out their traditional crafts, offering them protection from the sun and the rain.

It is more than a building - it is a cultural anchor, a spiritual centre, a structure that strengthens social bonds, nurtures identity, and fosters collective wellbeing.

Goal

Today, the existing Shubuã in our village has started to leak and can no longer accommodate the entire community, which has grown over the years. That’s why we are raising funds to build a new Shubuã—constructed with sustainable, locally sourced materials—that can welcome up to 150 people. This new space will provide safe, covered shelter for children to rest during long night ceremonies and serve as a vital gathering place where the community can come together, share, connect and strengthen their ancestral culture.

Join us! Support, share, and help spread the word.

About us:

Our story begins with a woman: the grandmother, matriarch, founder and shaman of the Segredo do Artesão Village, Bimi Shu Ikaya.

In 2004, after moving to a new territory and creating her own community with just 14 people, Bimi dreamed of creating an organized women's movement to strengthen the feminine voices of her people.

It was only 20 years later, through the leadership of her granddaughter Siriani Huni Kuin, that her dream came true.

In January 2024, the women’s collective of the village joined forces with non-Indigenous women and officially founded the Aîbaibu Kayawai Association.

Today, the Segredo do Artesão Village has more than 150 residents and is located in the Kaxinawá Indigenous Land - Praia do Carapanã - Acre, Brazil.

Learn more about us: https://www.aibaibukayawai.com

About Siriani:

Siriani Txaná Huni Kuin is a distinguished young indigenous leader. Since her childhood, she has been immersed in ancient healing practices through the teachings of her Grandmother, and has been chosen to carry forward this powerful female lineage as the next leader of the village.

Despite her young age, Siriani has already broken barriers in her community. She was the first woman to travel abroad alone and has since shared the ancestral wisdom of the forest across the world, visiting countries such as Portugal, France, Switzerland, the UK, India, and Sri Lanka.

About the construction: