The ancestors of the Achuar people have lived along the Pastaza and Morona rivers of Ecuador and Peru for thousands of years. In 1992, the Achuar were granted legal title over 680,000 hectares of the 800,000 in total that comprise their ancestral territory in Ecuador. This has allowed the Achuar to manage their natural resources according to their own vision; except for underground/mineral resources, to which the Ecuadorian State still holds title.
The Achuar have a robust governance structure that has allowed them to keep oil extraction and logging out of their territory for 60 years. They continue to practice the guayusa ritual every morning, drink chicha de yuca throughout the workday, and on special occasions ingest sacred, hallucinogenic plants such as Ayahuasca to encounter Arutam (a jungle spirit), which guides their work and their lives.
Credit: Pablo Alberenga/Rainforest Defenders/Kara Solar
December 16, 2025
Wayfinders Circle members gathered in Cahuilla territory in Southern California in November. The exchange of culture and spirituality brought together representatives from across North America and the Sami from Sweden and Indigenous Australians.
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Wayfinders from around the globe gathered for a Sacred Fire Ceremony held by the World Union of Indigenous Spiritual Practitioners. The Ceremony is a tradition carried that honors ancient fire ceremonies held since time immemorial.
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A contingent of Indigenous leaders from across central and southeast Asia, spend four days exchanging knowledge, blessings and spiritual energy as part of a Regional Gathering of the Wayfinders Circle.
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