OIOC Community Impact Report

Oioc El Origen Shanayoy
Jul 6
4 min read

Updated: Jul 6

February – June 2025

Rooted in Reciprocity, Growing Through Community Support

For the Kamëntsá people, life moves in circles, not in straight lines. Everything is connected: the rivers and the trees, the stories and the seeds, the spirit and nature. This sacred cosmovision is at the heart of everything we do at OIOC.

Over the past months, with the loving support of our extended community, we’ve made meaningful progress in protecting sacred plant and tree species, uplifting families in need, preserving ancestral language, and restoring dignity—step by step, root by root.

We’re deeply grateful to our monthly donor community, including Oliver, Daniela, and Katie, whose ongoing support helps sustain this work on the ground. Special thanks also to our sister organization, Circle of Sacred Nature (CSN), and to Chacruna’s Indigenous Reciprocity Initiative (IRI), whose generous funding has allowed OIOC—and Taita Juan—to continue nurturing this vision of healing, cultural preservation, and sacred reciprocity.

We invite you to explore the progress we've made together over the past four months. Thank you for walking this path with us.

Amazon & Plant Medicine Conservation

Thanks to the support of individual donors, Oliver, Daniela, and Katie, whose monthly donations directly support the field labor of Don Neftali, who cares for the gardens and the baby trees, we’ve expanded our reforestation and ceremonial planting efforts in the Kamëntsá territory.

Key Achievements:

200 new seedlings planted in the reforestation areas, including fruit, food, trees, and plant medicines.
1,000 Urapán trees cultivated in Benito Chindoy’s greenhouse to supply Kamëntsá wood artisans. (beginning stages)
Ongoing care of over 150 native medicinal plants—including Yagé, Yarumo, Palmito, Chilca, and more—led by Indigenous fieldworker Don Neftalí.
Botanical garden signage project underway, making this a living classroom for youth, herbalists, and elders alike. (Supported by CSN)

"Every tree planted and every medicine nurtured is a thread in the web of life."

Kamëntsá Language Revitalization – Phase Two Begins

We’re thrilled to share that our second phase of the Kamëntsá Language Revitalization Project has begun with the support of our sister ORG Circle of Sacred Nature, and thanks to a generous $4,000 grant from the IRI Foundation (a Chacruna project).

With only 6% of the population still speaking the language, we are working urgently to:

Collaborate with national and international educators to design a culturally grounded, research-informed model for immersive language learning.
Develop a 7-phase curriculum adaptable for all ages, from young children to elders, incorporating storytelling, ceremony, and traditional knowledge.
Train the next generation of Kamëntsá language teachers with the tools, mentorship, and community support needed to lead this work.
Create a motivation and participation program to increase engagement and pride among learners of all ages.
Work directly within the three largest schools in the territory, where over 60% of Kamëntsá youth are enrolled.
Engage over 340 children and their families through school-based and community immersion initiatives.

This is more than a language program—it is a cultural and spiritual rebirth, rooted in the voices of the ancestors and carried forward by the youth.

To complete this phase, we are still seeking USD 9,000 to finalize the development of seven educational modules and fully launch the motivation and evaluation program, which will support both students and future teachers.

🌱 Your continued support could help bring an entire language—and all the wisdom it holds—back to life.

LEARN MORE

Hummingbird Campaign – Empowering Kamëntsá Women

The Hummingbird Campaign continues to generate new energy for Kamëntsá women artisans. Through the sale of their handmade beadwork and crafts, women are not only preserving their traditions but also gaining financial independence.

Highlights:

New hummingbird-inspired designs are now circulating internationally.
Artisans are beginning to receive direct income through campaign channels.
OIOC is building out ethical partnerships with plant medicine and conscious travel communities to expand support.

This project combines cultural preservation and economic empowerment, all through the hands of women.

Root of Dignity: Housing Support

Through our Root of Dignity program, we support Kamëntsá families in vulnerable conditions with access to safe housing and stability.

Thanks to a $1,000 donation from Ryan Murphey, we began building a new home for a family living in unsafe conditions, giving them the foundation for a more dignified and secure life.

We also supported a single mother and her children with urgent home repairs—thanks to the heartfelt support of our sister organization, Circle of Sacred Nature (CSN), whose ongoing partnership allows us to respond with care when it’s needed most.

These are more than construction projects—they are acts of community, rooted in love and reciprocity.

Carrying the Vision Forward Together

With your continued support, we’re ready to take the next steps in deepening our impact and growing with the Kamëntsá community:

🌳 Plant 1,000 Urapán trees to support Kamëntsá artisans and ensure future generations of mask-makers and woodworkers have access to culturally vital materials.
📚 Complete bilingual signage in our botanical garden (Kamëntsá–Spanish–English) and launch the accompanying website with QR codes for educational access across borders.
🧵 Expand the Hummingbird Campaign to international markets, increasing visibility and income for Kamëntsá women through their sacred crafts.
🏡 Sponsor another Kamëntsá family in urgent need of housing through our Root of Dignity program, providing safety, warmth, and stability.
🗣️ Expand the Kamëntsá Language Program in both time and reach—deepening our work in the territory’s three main schools, increasing hours of instruction, and completing the full 7-module curriculum and motivation system for community-wide participation.

Thank you for Walking With Us

Thank you for taking the time to read this report and walk alongside our work. We value transparency and ongoing dialogue with our community of supporters. If you have any questions or ideas, please don’t hesitate to reach out—we’re always open to conversation and connection.

We’re also currently seeking an intern to help support OIOC communications and outreach. This is a unique opportunity to engage with Indigenous-led projects and receive a scholarship to attend an upcoming Shanayoy retreat.

👉 Click here to learn more and apply