Readiness Report
Yawanawá & Noke Kũi

Territory shared between 2 ethnic groups.

A strong culture of dialogue and consultation exists between community representatives, as well as between the two Indigenous Peoples, for any decision or initiative affecting the territory as a whole. However, there is a significant gap in experience and institutional readiness between the Yawanawá and the Noke Kũi regarding the development of international partnerships, the implementation of international projects, and the formalisation of FPIC procedures.

A significant difference can also be observed in the level of socio-economic development and international engagement between the Yawanawá and the Noke Kũi. The Yawanawá were among the first Indigenous Peoples of the State of Acre to establish international partnerships and develop a community-based model of cultural and regenerative tourism. Today, these initiatives have generated significant economic opportunities, strengthened their international visibility and supported long-term partnerships across several sectors.

By contrast, the Noke Kũi are among the most recent Indigenous Peoples in the region to begin engaging in this type of initiative. As a result, they currently have more limited access to sustainable economic opportunities, international networks and diversified income sources. However, the exceptional richness of their cultural heritage, traditional knowledge, medicinal practices, and the growing interest in their territory create strong potential for a rapid and sustainable development of community-based tourism, international partnerships and regenerative economic initiatives — provided that this growth remains community-led and aligned with their own priorities and governance.

Although the Noke Kũi have not yet had the opportunity to develop international partnerships on the same scale as the Yawanawá, they have nevertheless started to build valuable institutional experience through negotiations with several Brazilian companies. These processes arose following infrastructure developments on their territory (including road construction and installation of electrical and internet infrastructure carried out without FPIC) and led to financial compensation agreements. Although these experiences are relatively recent, they are already significantly strengthening the community's capacities in governance, financial management, negotiation, institutional administration and project management, providing a solid foundation for future international partnerships.

As the project is currently in its initial co-development phase, and as discussions with both Indigenous Peoples began as part of a strategic adaptation following the conclusion of negotiations with the Huni Kuin, only one relatively short and diplomatically discreet two-week field mission has been conducted to initiate discussions, explore initial thinking, and map opportunities and needs across both territories. As a result, it has not yet been possible to meet representatives of every village or to organise the broad collective consultations that will be carried out as the project progresses.

At this stage, Sacred Forest does not yet have a large operational team mobilised or established on the ground. Nevertheless, it has access to and means of drawing on a solid network of highly experienced local and international professionals, including specialists in Indigenous community engagement, conservation, regenerative agriculture, bioeconomy, and the design / implementation of development projects with Indigenous Peoples across Amazonia.

In addition, these existing relationships, combined with the team's deep and long-standing knowledge of the territories, the trusted connections with local leaders, and the strong culture of collective decision-making shared by both Peoples, provide a solid foundation for meaningful engagement. It is therefore reasonable to expect that once the project's objectives are understood and endorsed by key community representatives, interest and engagement will spread rapidly across the communities.

This is why we are currently co-developing an Indigenous Innovation & Incubation Lab with both Indigenous Peoples, through which three successive and progressive field missions will bring together representatives from several villages of both Peoples, creating opportunities for shared understanding, inter-community knowledge exchange, peer-to-peer learning, mutual inspiration and collective motivation. By allowing the two neighbouring Peoples to learn from each other, the incubation process aims to accelerate capacity building while fully respecting the culture, governance system, priorities and development pace of each People.

The State of Acre, and particularly the Rio Gregório region, stands out as home to one of the richest cultural, human, environmental and medicinal ecosystems in the world. This unique combination of exceptional biodiversity, living Indigenous knowledge systems and remarkably preserved cultures places the region at the centre of growing international interest and creates outstanding opportunities for international partnerships.

As a result, there is significant and rapidly growing potential for increased international visibility, conservation initiatives, scientific collaboration, regenerative tourism, bioeconomy and cross-cultural exchange. Beyond these assets, both Indigenous Peoples possess a strong culture of communication, artistic expression and celebration, rooted in a way of life deeply grounded in artistic and cultural expression and the shared joy of living (só alegria!). Many community members are naturally inclined and sincerely motivated to become ambassadors not only of their cultures, but also of their worldview, ways of living, values, understanding of current global challenges, and Indigenous perspectives on possible solutions for the future of the planet.

This is undoubtedly one of the most important, valuable, opportunity-rich and strategically significant aspects for Sacred Forest in developing long-term, trust-based relationships with the Indigenous Peoples of Acre, potentially enabling the organisation to exponentially strengthen and extend its mission of building international partnerships and advancing the Rewilding Minds initiative through collaborations with international brands.

A growing number of local, national and international initiatives are already under development across the territory, alongside a growing community of individuals ready to support these Indigenous Peoples — many of whom have experienced profound personal, professional and spiritual transformations through their encounters with the communities, their cultures and their traditional medicines. As a result, an expanding ecosystem, generally characterised by benevolence, authentic collaboration, mutual support and a shared sense of purpose, continues to develop, providing a solid foundation for future partnerships while preserving a spirit of integrity, respect and reciprocity.