In 2005, Hushahu became the first Yawanawá woman to enter a spiritual study, spending over a year in deep isolation in Samakẽi, where she discovered the world of the Pajés as a woman. She expressed this awakening through her art and voice, bringing a female presence to the traditionally male songs of her people. Her return marked a transformation, inspiring men and women alike to re-engage with their traditions. Now a respected spiritual leader, her visionary designs influence indigenous art across Brazil. In 2024, she entered Runua Xinã, a sacred retreat, deepening her connection to ancestral wisdom to better serve those who seek her guidance. Hushahu carries a nurturing yet powerful presence, sharing her deep spiritual knowledge with love and devotion.

Matsini Yawanawá, chief and spiritual leader of Mutum village, descends from an unbroken lineage of Pajés (master shamans) and trained under the legendary Pajé Tata, who helped restore Yawanawá traditions after years of suppression. The Yawanawá, native to Acre, Brazil, have long safeguarded their land and spiritual heritage despite near extinction following early contact with outsiders. Matsini works year-round welcoming students to his village while also sharing his wisdom abroad. He is joined by his wife, Manxyvake Yawanawá, and their children Kuru and Kenesay, all gifted musicians and spiritual practitioners. Together, they carry the ancestral prayers and teachings of their people, aiming to build global community and support sustainable projects in their village. Their tour seeks to share the Yawanawá's powerful prayers and songs, helping guide the world through these times of transformation.

Khenpo Tashi Rinpoché is an internationally respected master of Tibetan Buddhism, renowned for his deep realization and teachings in the Kagyu tradition. Born in Ladakh in 1963 during the sacred month of Saka Dawa, he entered monastic life at age six and earned his Khenpo title by twenty-six. After leading the Drikung Kagyu Institute in India, he spent over a decade in solitary retreat in the Himalayas. A realized yogi and gifted healer, Rinpoché now shares profound teachings—such as Mahamudra and the Six Yogas of Naropa—throughout Asia and Europe, helping students explore the nature of mind. Though he lives in seclusion in Mustang, Nepal, he remains deeply connected to a global community, offering authentic, accessible guidance that bridges ancient wisdom and modern seekers.

Born in Amdo, northeastern Tibet, Dr. Nida Chenagtsang began his studies in Sowa Rigpa (Traditional Tibetan Medicine) locally and completed his medical degree at Lhasa Tibetan Medical University in 1996. Alongside his medical training, he studied Vajrayana Buddhism across all schools, with a focus on Longchen Nyingthig and Dudjom Tersar lineages. He received the complete Yuthok Nyingthig teachings—Tibetan Medicine’s unique spiritual lineage—and was entrusted to carry it forward by Jamyang Rinpoche of the Rebkong ngakpa/ma tradition.

A published poet and scholar, Dr. Nida has extensively researched ancient Tibetan healing methods and is highly acclaimed in both the East and West for reviving little-known traditional Tibetan external therapies. His writings on Sowa Rigpa and Tibetan spiritual healing have been widely translated.

He is the founder of the Sowa Rigpa Institute, Pure Land Farms, and Sorig Khang International, and co-founder of the International Ngakmang Institute. Dr. Nida teaches worldwide in over 40 countries.

In 2009, Jordão began his deep journey with the Yawanawá people, becoming the last student of the revered healer Pajé Tata and dedicating himself to the study of ancestral plant medicine and Indigenous wisdom.

He later co-founded the Nipëihu Sanctuary in Bahia—a center for healing and research that connects ancestral plant medicine with visitors from around the world.

Jordão now leads initiatives focused on preserving, revitalizing, and sharing Yawanawá culture and spirituality. His work bridges tradition and modernity, amplifies Indigenous voices, and fosters intercultural dialogue.

Kuru is a powerful and rising young leader from Mutum Village. Having recently completed the year-long Muká initiation, he has deepened his connection to the ancestral healing practices of prayer and medicine. A worldly traveler, he carries his music, spiritual force, and Yawanawá traditions to people across the globe. As the son of Chief Matsini and a devoted student of Hushahu Yawanawá and the wisdom of the ancients, he is dedicated to preserving and sharing his people's sacred knowledge. Above all, he is a father to two children, walking the path of tradition while shaping the future.

Dechen Kelden is a Tibetan and Kalmyk Mongolian storyteller whose work reflects themes of identity, memory, and belonging. Her stories draw from her roots- her father, a former monk of Nechung Monastery, revered as the seat of the State Oracle of Tibet, and her mother, a Kalmyk American whose family was among the first Kalmyks to immigrate to the United States in 1951. Kalmyks, also known as the Oirats of the Dzungar tribe, originate from western Mongolia and trace their ancestral origins to the Altai Mountains. Dechen’s work reflects the complexities of diaspora and the spiritual traditions that shape her worldview.

She produced My Sweet Pala, a short film directed by Tao Okamoto, about a Tibetan American child navigating the tension between her family’s past and her American present. As a cultural consultant at Avatar Studios, a division of Nickelodeon, Dechen collaborates with the original creators of Avatar: The Last Airbender across film, TV, publishing, and gaming.

She has used storytelling and community organizing to amplify the stories of her people.

Lobsang Tara was born in Amdo Ngawa, Eastern Tibet. Lobsang has studied MFA as New York Film Academy as film writer and director. He achieved creating a new genre in Tibetan Contemporary Art as Abstract Calligraphy painter. Lobsang was the co-founder of Artra Sound Production Company in New York and Los Angeles. He currently lives in New York and works as sound engineer and camera operator on film sets

Manxyvake is a devoted student of Yawanawá spiritual wisdom. She walks alongside her husband, Matsini Yawanawá—chief and spiritual leader of Mutum Village—participating in ceremonies, sacred diets, and profound spiritual studies. She leads an annual women's gathering, offering a sacred space for connection and transformation, and shares her knowledge through online studies. Through her powerful chants, she helps guide others on their own spiritual journeys.

Hukēna embarked on her spiritual journey at a young age, becoming one of the youngest women of her people to be initiated into the sacred Muká diet—one of the most profound and revered spiritual paths in her tradition. She received this initiation from the hands of the shaman Tatá and her mother, Hushahu, marking the beginning of a lifelong dedication to the study of sacred medicines.

Rooted in the ancestral wisdom of her lineage, Hukēna leads spiritual work throughout Brazil and beyond, sharing her strength, knowledge, and beauty through her voice and teachings. She is an inspiration to many, not only as a spiritual leader but also as a trailblazer for love and equality—becoming the first woman in her tribe to marry another woman. Through her work, she fosters understanding, healing, and inclusion within her community and across the world.

Learning alongside her mother, Hukēna carries a deep reverence for her traditions while embracing the vision of a new generation. Alongside her partner, Nawãma, she stands with courage and humility, bringing forth teachings and songs that touch hearts and uplift spirits wherever she goes.

Yawavãná is Hushahu's niece, raised by Naiwēni who was the first female leader of a Yawanawá village. From a young age she studied with Hushahu as well as with Hushahu’s teacher Tatá before he passed away, receiving his prayers and blessings. Yawa is currently in retreat, having entered into the diet of Muká given to her from Hushahu’s hands on the same day Hushahu entered her retreat of Runua Xinã. She has since been living with Hushahu and Isãrua in their isolated space. Yawa has a powerful voice and is especially talented in her art, painting traditionally in the form of Kenē on the face or body but also on canvas, Very humble in her heart, Yawá brings the feminine strength of her people with great responsibility and love.

Maria Kenetsayny Yawanawá carries the strength and wisdom of her ancestors. Born in the village of Mutum and daughter of Chief Matsini, she represents a new generation of Yawanawá leaders devoted to the spiritual path.

Through her voice, she channels the Saitis—the sacred chants of her people—songs born of prayer, study, and deep communion with the forest. Rooted in tradition yet open to the world, Maria shares her culture through workshops, gatherings, and collaborations that weave ancestral wisdom with contemporary expression.

Her presence bridges the past and the future—an offering of reverence, beauty, and the living spirit of the forest carried through song.

Being Hushahu’s daughter, Nãiwẽni Yawanawá was born into the world of her mother’s spirituality, accompanying her mother in her retreats and ceremonies from since she was a baby. Beside her mother in this way she developed the same depth of expression in her voice and connection to the spiritual work. Still very young, she has already undertaken some spiritual retreats with her mother over the last years and is now growing very quickly as she travels with Hushahu and accompanies her work. Nãi has a beautiful voice and already composed several of her own interpretations of the traditional songs. Last year she released her first EP with her mother - Nãi Ãūnua Rẽwẽ and every year her inspiration and talent grows more.

Khenzom is a Tibetan artist based in Brooklyn. Her paintings weave together human and natural elements, centering themes of interdependence, ecofeminism, and sovereignty. By envisioning a homeland untouched by violence and environmental harm, her art challenges colonial narratives of Tibet and imagines futures where the deep harmony between Tibetan people and their land is fully restored. In many paintings, she imbues Tibetan nomads with magical powers that reflect their knowledge and stewardship of the environment. Blurring the lines between fantasy and reality, Khenzom’s art invites viewers to reimagine our modern world and confront today’s climate issues through a lens of hope.

She draws inspiration from traditional thangka art, Tibetan mythologies, and Buddhist beliefs. The strong environmental themes in her work stem from her commitment to climate activism and environmental justice. A graduate of Yale University with a degree in Environmental Studies, Khenzom has worked with the Yale Center for Environmental Justice and currently works at the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Tsekyi Tsultrim and Tenzin Choeni are young Tibetan Americans born and raised in New York City, dedicated to preserving Tibetan culture and traditions. Their journey began at the ages of five and six, when they started learning Nangma Toeshey, a traditional form of Tibetan music. Since then, they have shared their passion through performances at numerous events within the Tibetan community and outside with some including the Rubin Museum’s Spiral Music series and the New York State Losar Celebration in Washington, D.C. Through their performances, they strive to keep Tibetan traditions alive while inspiring younger generations to embrace their heritage.