01
Yawanawá Territory · Acre
Nicotiana rustica tobacco
The sacred tobacco is cultivated and slowly dried in the sun and smoke. It is a very distinct variety from commercial tobacco: dense, fragrant, additive-free, sustained in lineage.
Medicine · 04
Rapé
The breath of the jungle.
Origin
Amazon · Acre and Alto Juruá
Lineage
Yawanawá, Nukini, Kuntanawa, Huni Kuin
Duration
Application · 5–20 min
What it is
Rapé is a sacred powder made from finely ground Nicotiana rustica tobacco and ashes from medicinal trees. It is gently blown through the nose with a tepi (ceremonial blowpipe) to clear the mind, ground the body, and open space before other medicines or practices.
In each tribe, the formula is distinct: each blend carries the tree, the intention, and the lineage of its preparer. It is not a single medicine, but an entire family.
In our program, Rapé accompanies—it does not replace—the deep work with Ayahuasca or Bufo. It is used to center oneself before a ceremony, to release burdens afterward, or within preparation and integration circles.
It is a physical and subtle medicine: a few minutes of intensity, followed by a clear calm. It is not psychoactive in the classic sense. It does demand respect, small doses, and context.
Nicotiana rustica + sacred ashes
History
A lineage much older than us.
Each medicine carries centuries — sometimes millennia — of living knowledge. Telling its story well is part of showing respect.
Origin
Before Contact
Amazonian peoples used sacred tobacco centuries before European arrival. In the cosmology of the Huni Kuin, Yawanawá, or Kuntanawa, tobacco is a teacher as important as Ayahuasca.
18th–19th Centuries
From Prayer to Colonial 'Snuff'
Colonists and missionaries brought tobacco to Europe as fashionable rapé; they completely forgot its ceremonial origin. In the jungle, meanwhile, the tradition remained intact.
Recent Decades
Return of the Lineage
The Yawanawá, Nukini, and Huni Kuin tribes carefully open their medicine to the world, always in direct relation: the recipient knows who prepared it, how, with which tree, and with what intention.
Today at Chakana
Direct and Traceable Purchase
We work exclusively with Rapés purchased directly from the tribes, with known names, blends, and lineages. Each batch is labeled and documented.
The Journey of the Medicine
From the jungle to your ceremony.
Every step is documented, lineage-supported, and verified. We do not work with medicine that we cannot trace back to its origin.
02
Ceremonial fire pit
Ashes of medicinal trees
Tree barks such as Tsunu, Murici, or Cumaru are burned for hours, and their ashes are collected. Each tree contributes a distinct character to the final blend.
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Tribe's Maloka
Grinding and blessing
Tobacco and ash are ground in a mortar for hours, sifted, and sung over. Nothing is done in a hurry. Each Rapé comes with a name, intention, and the signature of its maker.
04
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Spain · Casa Chakana
Application with tepi
In a circle, a facilitator gently blows the Rapé through both nostrils with a wooden tepi. A few minutes of silence, breathing, presence. Then, water and stillness.
Documentary
How it is collected this medicine.
Fragments recorded in the jungle, by the fire, and in the house. The full version is shared within the members' community.
5:34
In the Yawanawá maloka
How the Rapé is ground, hour after hour, with chants.
3:58
The fire that makes ash
Medicinal barks burning slowly. The base of the blend.
4:41
Application in a circle
An honest demonstration, with tepi, in a preparation circle.
What to Expect
The experience, with honesty.
- Immediate mental clarity, grounding of the body
- Opening of sinuses and breathing
- Good support before ceremony or meditation
- Brief effect (5–20 minutes) without prolonged altered state
Not for everyone
When we do not offer this medicine.
- Uncontrolled hypertension or cardiovascular problems
- Pregnancy and lactation
- Severe sensitivity to tobacco or smoke
Each participant undergoes a medical and personal evaluation before accessing any medicine. If something doesn't fit, we say so.
Speak with us
Is it Rapé for you now?
Book a free 30-minute call with a team member. No obligation, no sales pitch. Just an honest conversation about where you are and what this medicine may or may not offer.
