The Inga Community
Putumayo, Colombia
The Ancestral Living School
The Sacred Geography of Putumayo is the cradle of the world-renowned medicine Ayahuasca, known in the Colombian tradition as Yagé. This Amazonian territory is a land of three distinct worlds: the Lower Putumayo, where the jungle is lush and deep; the Middle Putumayo, a commercial gateway and bridge between regions; and the Upper Putumayo—the high-altitude mountains and páramo where the waters are born and the landscape transforms into a sacred mist. It is here, in the Sibundoy Valley at 2,200 meters above sea level, that the Inga people reside, the ancestral guardians of the headwaters and biodiversity.
A Taita is a spiritual healer and the leading traditional doctor of the Inga community. He is responsible for the holistic health of his people, dedicated to a lifelong study of local medicinal plants and the spiritual guidance provided through the sacred medicine of Yagé
We are currently witnessing a critical decline in the number of Taitas, midwifes and traditional wisdom keepers as the relentless pressures of globalization reach the heart of the territory. Younger generations are increasingly losing interest in their ancestral wisdom and native languages, often pursuing modern interests that lead them away from their spiritual roots. This cultural shift creates a dangerous gap in the transmission of knowledge, threatening to break a medicinal and spiritual lineage that has survived for millennia.
"What I dream of is something communal and social, to be able to maintain those systems of knowledge, that culture—the grandfathers, the mothers, the midwives—where we can truly make this ancestral school, so that children and youth can rescue the little we still maintain in our territory." — Taita Mariano Tisoy, Indigenous Leader and Former Governor
Project Schedule
Phase 1: Mobilization & Intergenerational Continuity
Distance should never be a barrier to wisdom. Across the vast Inga territory, our mission is to physically bridge the gap between the youth and the Elders, ensuring the uninterrupted transmission of their ancestral knowledge. Your support ensures safe transportation and nourishing meals, provides a respectful contribution to the master teachers, and secures the sacred supplies necessary to keep their ceremonies and workshops alive.
Projection in 2026:
To ensure the survival of this lineage and future of their ancestral wisdom, we aim to establish a consistent, monthly rhythm of education and healing:
Traditional Wisdom Workshops: Intensive training for 40–50 students in midwifery, traditional arts, and medicinal preparation once a month.
Communal Yagé Ceremony: Once a month spiritual gathering for the community led by Taitas from the High and Low Putumayo to foster unity, guidance and identify potential learners.
Your funding serves as the "initial impulse" that transforms the Ancestral Living School from a vision into a reality for the Inga people.
