Today, out of the 2,575 Siona people, only seven people speak the native Siona language. Of these, just two people can read and write it, while the remaining four preserve it solely through oral tradition. Without immediate, community-based educational spaces, this millennial culture - and the sacred wisdom it carries - risks going extinct very soon.
In 2024, the Siona elders took a decisive step forward by establishing a Foundation with a clear vision: to create a physical cultural and educational centre in the Putumayo region of the Colombian Amazon. This centre will serve as a school for the protection, teaching, and transmission of the Siona language, traditional dances, ancestral knowledge, and different cultural practices. Today, the Siona elders are asking for support to make this vision a reality.
In response, we’re joining forces with our beloved Taita Victoriano Piaguaje Yaiguaje. He is one of those three remaining elders that can read and speak the Siona language, and the leader of the Siona school project. Through our 22nd and 23rd Taozen retreats, a portion of the proceeds will be allocated to the development of this educational centre.
At Taozen, we’re working to support indigenous-led efforts that helps ensure future generations receive ayahuasca from the hands of the ancient lineages, therefore preserving the authentic transmission of this ancestral knowledge.
