Sustainable Tourism and Support for Native Communities

CHINCHILEJO Foundation (EIN: 93-2687815)

Introduction: A Transformative Experience
The CHINCHILEJO Foundation (chinchilejo.org) invites conscious travelers to embark on a life-changing journey into the heart of the Peruvian and Colombian Amazon. These trips offer deep immersion in Amazonian culture and biodiversity while directly supporting sustainable economies for native communities. From 2026-2027, we will traverse 800 km of rivers and tributaries, visiting culturally and ecologically significant sites. Key Cultural Areas (KCA) and Ecologically Important Areas (EIA).

Through responsible tourism, we connect with indigenous peoples, participate in ancestral ceremonies, and contribute to their economic autonomy. Every traveler becomes an ally in preserving these ancient traditions. Our Cultural and Nature Journeys 2026-2027 actively support 7 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including poverty eradication, gender equality, and ecosystem conservation.

SDGs Supported by This Project

1. SDG 1: No Poverty

  • Direct income for Uitoto, Bora, Kukama and Matsés, native communities through:
    • Fair wages for native guides, shamans, and artisans.
    • Collective funds for sustainable agriculture and ecotourism.

2. SDG 4: Quality Education

  • Training native youth as nature and cultural guides.
  • Donations fund scholarships for local schools.

3. SDG 5: Gender Equality

  • Empowering indigenous women through:
    • Craft workshops with commercial value.
    • Leadership roles as healers (curanderas).

4. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  • Creating local jobs in ecotourism (cooks, botanists, boat builders).
  • Wages are 30% above regional averages.

5. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

  • Communities decide how to allocate 60% of project income.
  • Fair-trade exchanges (no exploitative purchases).

6. SDG 13: Climate Action

  • Reforestation in degraded areas of Pacaya Samiria and Ampiyacu.
  • Solar energy in community lodges.

7. SDG 15: Life on Land

  • Monitoring endangered species (pink river dolphin, harpy eagle).
  • Plastic-free expeditions.

Ancestral Ceremonies and Their Link to the SDGs

Ceremonies like Ayahuasca, Nunu, Caguana, and Kambó are not only spiritual experiences but acts of cultural preservation (SDG 11):

  • Shamans receive fair compensation (SDG 8).
  • Intergenerational knowledge transfer (SDG 4).
  1. Caguana: Reconnecting with Ancestors
  2. Ayahuasca: The Vine of the Soul
    • Guided by traditional healers (Icaro paleros), this purification ceremony uses Banisteriopsis caapi, Psychotria viridis. and a variety of up to 30 medicinal plants that are included according to the different conditions that the traditional doctor intends to heal patients.
    • Participants learn about the sustainable harvesting of medicinal plants in the jungle and then also learn by participating in the ancestral preparation of Ayahuasca, under the supervision and guidance of a traditional healer (shaman) from the amazonian community.
    • Learn more…
  3. Kambó: The Forest’s Vaccine
    • Participants learn how traditional healers become guardians of the ecosystem through the conservation practices required by the Kambo ceremony and the management of the Phyllomedusa bicolor frog as an ancestral tradition.
    • Medicine from the Phyllomedusa bicolor frog, used for physical and spiritual cleansing.
    • Includes natural bioactive peptides like dermorphin (40x stronger than morphine).
    • Learn more…
  4. Nunu: Sacred Tobacco and Master Plants
    • Guided by Matsés, Uitoto, and Bora healers using Mapacho (sacred tobacco) and cacao.
    • Balances energies and deepens emotional connections.

All ceremonies are voluntary, conducted with strict safety protocols, and led by certified traditional healers.

Destinations and Unique Experiences

  1. Navigating the Amazon’s Heart
    • Explore the Amazon jungle, including Amazon, Ucayali, Ampiyacu and Marañón Rivers—lifelines of biodiversity.
    • Discover:
      • Flooded forests, Amazonian Várzea teeming with wildlife (variety of fish, pink dolphins, exotic birds).
      • Traditional fishing routes and techniques used for centuries.
  2. Encounters with Native Communities
    • Visit Kukama, Matsés, Uitoto, and Bora villages to learn:
      • Ancestral farming techniques (chacras, yuca, native fruits).
      • Natural medicine from master shamans.
      • In danger native languages, Oro Win -comunidad Uitoto, Matar-comunidad Matsé, Kukama-Kukamiria (Cocama-Cocamilla) comunidad Kukama y Imihita, Niranya (Boro)– comunidad Bora.
  3. Conservation in Protected Areas
    • Pacaya Samiria National Reserve: “The Jungle of Mirrors,” home to jaguars and manatees.
    • Ampiyacu-Apayacu Regional Conservation Areas: Conservations practices and reforestation projects led by indigenous communities.

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How Your Donation Creates an Impact

Funds directly support:

  1. Fair wages for guides, healers, and artisans.
  2. Sustainable economies in visited communities.
  3. Conservation efforts: Language preservation, species monitoring, anti-logging campaigns.

Ways to Donate

For those unable to join physically, we offer targeted donations:

  • $1-$99: Every cent counts and helps to reach the goal.
  • $100: Covers a native guide’s daily wage.
  • $250: Supports one traditional ceremony.
  • $500+: Funds scholarships for natives’ youth in ecotourism training.

“Every contribution strengthens cultural resilience against modern threats.”

A Journey That Transforms Lives

This is more than tourism, it’s reciprocity with Amazonian guardians. By participating, you:

  • Preserve endangered languages and traditions.
  • Fund sustainable alternatives to deforestation.
  • Receive teachings that last a lifetime.

Join Us in 2026-2027—Spaces are limited.

Your contribution to EIN 93-2687815 also covers:

✈️ Remote transportation for volunteers (canoes, moto-taxis, planes, guides, small boats)
🏡 Lodging in indigenous longhouses during fieldwork
📚 Urgent documentation of ancestral knowledge
🤝 Support for collaborating communities

As a U.S.-registered 501(c)(3), your donation is tax-deductible.

🔗 Donate securely: chinchilejo.org
✉️ Travel with us: info@chinchilejo.org

“The forest teaches us that every action has an echo. May yours be one of justice and gratitude.” -chinchilejo Team

CHINCHILEJO Foundation
EIN: 93-2687815
Weaving Identity, Healing the Earth

📩 Contact: info@chinchilejo.org
“Your participation is a vote for climate and cultural justice.”

Join the Guardians’ Circle
🔗 Donate now: chinchilejo.org

“We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.” — Indigenous Proverb

CHINCHILEJO Foundation
EIN: 93-2687815 | Weaving Identity, Healing the Earth