Kuntanawa Rapé – Chief Osmildo

Osmildo Kuntanawa – Guardian of the Ancestral Medicines

Sacred Connection is honored to present, as our Rapé of the Month for May, a medicine made by the hands of Osmildo Kuntanawa, chief of the Kuntanawa people of the Tejo River in the Upper Juruá region of the Brazilian Amazon. Osmildo is more than a tribal leader — he is a respected healer, spiritual guide, and guardian of his people’s sacred traditions.

Born from the Forest, Rooted in Tradition

Osmildo was born deep in the forest, where he grew up collecting rubber and learning about plant medicines from his mother, Dona Mariana. His father, Senhor Milton, also of mixed Indigenous heritage, passed on to him the strength and values of the forest life. But it is through his grandmother, Dona Regina, that the story of resistance and survival comes into sharp focus.

Regina was one of the last survivors of a massacre that decimated the Kuntanawa people during the height of the rubber boom. She was found wandering alone in the forest as a child, after her entire community had been destroyed by rubber tappers. Her daughter Mariana, born in the aftermath, kept the ancestral flame alive — and passed it to Osmildo.

Today, Osmildo carries this legacy with humility and devotion. He is leading the efforts to revive the Kuntanawa language, rebuild sacred rituals, protect the forest, and ensure the cultural survival of his people. His work includes the creation of a differentiated Indigenous school, land demarcation campaigns, and the daily practice of traditional medicine.

A Medicine of Strength and Integrity

Living in a remote village in the rainforest, Osmildo does not seek attention or recognition. He lives simply, close to nature, in quiet communion with the forest and its spirits. His rapé is not made for trends or marketing — it is made with prayer, with heart, and with deep knowledge passed down through generations.

This is a powerful medicine, made from tobacco he harvests himself and herbs he knows intimately. Every batch is prepared with care, in alignment with the rhythms of the land. It carries the energy of his lineage — resilience, connection, clarity, and a fierce devotion to life.

Osmildo’s rapé is not just a product. It is a bridge to the forest, to memory, to healing. It is medicine for the soul — direct, grounded, and real.

A Partnership of Reciprocity

Our collaboration with Osmildo began as a gesture of listening and respect. He is not seeking to commercialize his medicine, but rather to share it in the right way — to allow it to reach those who truly seek it, and to provide support for his community in return.

By offering his Kuntanawa Rapé through Sacred Connection, we aim to ensure that 100% of the medicine’s integrity is preserve — and that Osmildo and his people benefit directly. This is not mass production. This is medicine from the forest, for those who know how to receive it.

We are grateful to walk beside Osmildo, and to help carry the voice of the forest he serves so faithfully.

His rapé is simple, strong, and sacred. It is a gift — and a responsibility.