Taita Victoriano Piaguaje Yaiguaje is a Siona taita, heir to the ancestral wisdom of the Siona people and bearer of the knowledge transmitted by his father, Taita Laureano, and other ancestors. His mother was Cofán.
He comes from a long lineage of Taitas (shamans) indigenous to the Putumayo rainforest, the Colombian Amazon.
His main medicine is Yagé (aka ayahuasca), a tool he’s used for all his life under the guidance of his father, grandfather, great-grandfather…
To become a Taita, he had to undergo intense initiations, entailing spending a year in the Amazon jungle in isolation, consecrating Yagé.
With more than 30 years of experience as a Taita, his life has been dedicated to the wisdom of this traditional indigenous medicine for life enhancement, detoxification, healing addiction, as well as different physical, mental and spiritual illnesses.
Personally, he's someone with whom we communicate sort of telepathically. No words are needed. He sees, which feels so freeing because his acute inner vision and discernment transcend masks. With him, we know transparency (from all sides) is ensured.
Victoriano is also one of those legit Taitas whose power could be misused for his own self gain, yet he chooses love, silence, and a simple, humble life in the jungle with his wife (who is a matriarch btw!), children, and grandchildren.
With a unique connection to tradition and sacred songs in his Siona mother tongue, Taita Victoriano continues to practice ancestral medicine in its purest form, carrying remedies and teachings deeply rooted in the science of the Amazon rainforest.
Victoriano is a tenured bilingual teacher and the founder of ECOYAI, the organisation building a school to save the Siona language. Read about the Siona school. He works alongside his wife, Abuela Maria Lidia Payaguaje. Learn more about the Siona people and their yagé tradition.
