DONATE TODAY

Sieko’pai Yaje wë’e House—

Preserving Ancestral Wisdom starts with Us, as a Community.

Basilio, family and close friends, are working to raise the necessary funds to build a new traditional Sieko’pai house for holding up traditional ceremonies and, at the same time, to keep alive all the knowledge and wisdom involved in these unique buildings.

Donate Today  ♡
Learn More FAQ ▷

Traditional Sieko'pai House

Click to View Architecture Plans for Yaje House

“After many years sharing beautiful ceremonies under the same roof it’s time to gather our energies together to rise up a new one” Basilio Payaguaje

Meet the Sieko’pai.

Basilio is a beloved elder who is holding the ceremonies at the Sieko’pai territory in Ecuador. For many years he has been sharing his wisdom and medicine to locals and visitors from all over the world. It has been a challenging journey to keep afloat this ancient tradition, for him and for everyone at his side, but thanks to all the efforts being done these beautiful ceremonies still echo through the jungle with the same old purpose, to honor and take care of Life.

The yaje lodge that has held us this last decade is getting old and we decided it's time to build a new one with the traditional techniques.

In this way, as the traditional house is being built, the elders pass their knowledge and the young people from the community learn the building techniques, the places where to gather the leaves for the roof, how to weave them, the different trees and materials used and many more details. Long work journeys where everyone is able to rediscover the richness of a breathtaking territory and culture and where the myths and stories of this unique tradition also come back to life.


CAMPAIGN FUNDRAISING GOAL

$5,500

-Our efforts in building the yaje house-

What we've accomplished

With the funds raised from the groups that visited the Sieko'pai community in Remolino in January and August 2024, it has been possible to start preparing the land, gathering data, constructing the traditional house structure and starting the roof weaving.

Progressing the project

What Past Donations Have Achieved

  • Compensation to family members, including the Yaje drinkers (shamans), project coordinators and stewards of the land.
  • Construction of a traditional Gathering Long House built with 100,000 unique palm leaves
  • Construction of a large kitchen building for creating tinctures, preparing medicine and food products to sell, and hosting visiting groups to the community
  • Construction of a new bamboo house to replace the deteriorating family house
  • Construction of a Carpentry house with second-floor cabins for visitors to stay in
  • New motor for the river canoe kids' school transportation
  • Support for a Fruit tree replanting program
Donate Here

**Donation page will link to The Warrior Sanctuary website

**Admin will send donation receipt and confirmation of fund transfer to Seikopai

Tali- Basilio's Granddaughter

Winner & Hugo - Project Coordinators

Margot. Basilio's Granddaughter. Project Coordinator

Josep (Top) and Marcela (Bottom) are Pumamaki leads, partners and organizers for Sieko’pai

POSSIBLE WITH THE HEARTS OF STEWARDS & LEADERS
—

Meet the Pumamaki Team

At the heart of Pumamaki are Marcela and Josep, a dynamic couple whose combined expertise and passion drive transformative environmental and cultural initiatives. Their leadership brings together ancient wisdom and modern conservation practices to create a more sustainable world.

Josep, with 15 years of immersion in the Amazon jungle with the Sieko’pai , has faced the challenges of this unique ecosystem firsthand. His experiences have led him to foster crucial alliances between communities, preserving and sharing the deep, universal wisdom of the rainforest.

Marcela is a multifaceted artist and healer whose talents span storytelling, craftsmanship, and facilitation of Andean traditions. Her ability to weave transformative narratives into spiritual tools adds a powerful, magical dimension to their work.

Together, Marcela and Josep embody a holistic approach to environmental stewardship. Their leadership of Pumamaki is a testament to their commitment to weaving a tapestry of sustainability, connecting communities, and honoring the wisdom of indigenous traditions.

Donate Today  ♡

Charting Our Course: Project Objectives

1
—

Provide a new ceremonial house to the Sieko’pai Yaje drinkers and foreigners.

  • Promote the transmission of knowledge from old Yaje drinkers to the new generations.
  • Reclaim the cultural importance of the Yaje ceremonies.

2

—

Keep the ancient architectural knowledge and techniques.

  • Highlight the sustainability of ancient techniques (carbon capture).
  • Ensure the techniques keep alive through the new generations.
  • Collect and map the technical aspects of the traditional building to ensure its preservation..

3
—

Support a newly created economy based on traditional wisdom.

  • Financially recognize the work done by all involved.
  • Provide the tools to administrate and improve a family business focused on preserving the environment against deforestation and loss of biodiversity.
Donate Now  ♡

New Building Construction Photos

Workshop & Guest House

Bamboo House

Traditional Roof Weaving

Your donation & support is the wind for the wings, our communities are bridging the present and future.

The Warrior Sanctuary is a 501c3 non-profit supporting the continuation of indigenous wisdom, cultural preservation, caring for our elders and ensuring the next generation is bright with opportunity.

Your donation is 100% tax-deductible and we’ll send you the receipt for your donation via email.

Donate Now  ♡