Pajé Maná

The Shanenawá people have lived on the banks of the Envira River in Brazil since 1940. In this tribe there are 1500 indigenous people distributed in 11 villages, they live in the ancient traditions and culture. The Shanenawá are considered by indigenous people worldwide to be “Doctors of the Forest”, they are scholars of medicinal herbs. Giving a voice to the entire Shanenawá 
nation, we present the Pajé and Cacique Maná, young leader of the Kene Merá Village.

For 16 years, Maná was prepared by the village elders, receiving ancestral knowledge to be consecrated as one of the keepers of sacred medicines, one of the Pajés.

Recently Pajé Maná has left his village for a long journey with two objectives: the first - to speak and spread the Shanenawá indigenous cosmovision in a rescue of healing the heart of humanity, and along with this, the second objective - the collection of financial resources to repair everything that was destroyed by a flood in 2021, which caused great damage to the physical structures of his community, leaving the drinking water well, the Casa de Rezo, the Women's House, completely damaged.

The Shanenawá prepare and consume ayahuasca (called uni in their indigenous language), a drink based on a particular vine species and hallucinogenic leaves that induces visions. Through these visions, they communicate with the spirits of their ancestors and obtain help to solve their problems. Uni is also used as a medicine to treat many ailments.

Pajé Maná brings us valuable messages from the forest, from everything that we have forgotten and that needs to be illuminated again, as they understand the importance of the 
collective, of shared decisions, prioritizing what is good for everyone, demonstrating alternatives of visions and quality of life for all.