Meeting a Shawandawa Elder
On one of my many trips to the Amazon, I had the privilege of speaking at length with Wawacuru Curushiña — "Enchanted Macaw" — an elder of the Shawandawa people. Hers is one of only a handful of ethnic groups remaining in the Juruá Valley of western Brazil, where her people have lived for generations. The wisdom of these cultures is passed down mostly by word of mouth, and especially by the elders, so to sit with Wawacuru was a rare gift. After our greetings we spoke of many facets of tribal life, but what she most wanted to share was the art of making rapé, and its place in her tradition.
Wawacuru spoke of rapé as a central medicine in her people's tradition — something that, as she described it, steadies the mind, lifts the heart and deepens spiritual connection. These are the meanings her culture gives it, passed down through the generations; they describe a tradition, not a medical treatment.
Rapé & the Making of the Black Earth
Historically, rapé was made only by the wisest of the tribe, and its origin stories reach as far back as the practice of the "black earth." The two are connected. To create rich black soil, the people cleared a patch of jungle, burned the trees down to ash, and worked those ashes back into the ground. While the younger men made the earth, the elder medicine keepers — the Pajés — experimented with the ashes of different trees and plants, and over time learned the distinct qualities of each. Those same ashes became the foundation of rapé.
Remarkably, modern science bears out the achievement. Research confirms that the Amazon's famous "dark earths" (terra preta) were made by people, not nature — enriched over centuries by ash, charcoal and organic remains from settlement life.1 The clearings, laid with this black earth, were then planted with yucca, papaya, plantain, pineapple and more, which thrived in the fertile ground.
The Sacred Tobacco Ally
The tobacco plant would often establish itself in these clearings on its own, its broad leaves shading the bare jungle floor from the glaring sun and the torrential rains. It was the perfect ally. Once the plant had matured and its leaves had dried naturally in the elements, the medicine keepers gathered them, ground them to a fine powder, and combined them with the tree ashes. If a rapé was meant for a particular purpose, the Pajé would add chosen herbs, and often sang prayers over the work as it was made.
The Woods & Ashes of Rapé
Wawacuru told me of at least fifteen kinds of wood ash the ancients used. Among them are Tsunu, Paricá, Murici, Mulateiro and Imbaúba, each named for the tree it comes from. These ancient trees carry years of stored sunlight, and their sandy, textured bark burns down to a fine ash much like talcum powder. Many everyday rapés today still contain only tobacco and ash, and each people still holds to its own favourite ash — Mulateiro among the Katukina, Tsunu among the Yawanawá.
Stronger blends came with the addition of dried leaves from shrubs and trees. Each addition was chosen to shape the blend's character in tradition — Cacau, Sansarah, Ayawaska and Mugwort are among the more than thirty plants traditionally used to give each rapé its distinct spiritual and cultural signature. Every rapé is unique, from tribe to tribe and Pajé to Pajé.
Blends Made for a Purpose
In tradition, every blend is made for a purpose. The Pajé selects the ash and the herbs to lean a rapé toward the work at hand — everyday blends of tobacco and ash for grounding, blends carrying additional herbs prepared for specific intentions, and blends made to support prayer, ceremony and spiritual connection. These are traditional descriptions of how a blend is used in ceremony and daily life — not statements of medical effect.
Today we describe our blends simply by strength — Light, Regular, Strong and Extra Strong. Browse all rapé (hapé) blends →, or start with the beginner guidance in the main guide →.
A Living Tradition Under Threat
As I said goodbye to Wawacuru, I couldn't help feeling saddened by the steady advance of so-called civilisation. Many tribal homelands are now under pressure from corporations hungry for oil or pasture, and the activists who stand in the way are too often threatened or found dead under mysterious circumstances. I believe it's vital that we learn to balance the old and the new. To discard the old ways for the new can lead to a kind of blindness — there are answers still held in the jungle, answers we may one day need.
Origins of Rapé: FAQ
Who traditionally made rapé?+
In tradition, rapé was prepared by the elder medicine keepers of a tribe — the Pajés — who learned the qualities of different tree ashes and herbs over a lifetime and often sang prayers over the work as it was made.
What is the "black earth" and how is it linked to rapé?+
The "black earth" (terra preta) is the rich, dark soil Amazonian peoples created by burning cleared forest to ash and working it into the ground. Research confirms it was human-made from ash, charcoal and organic remains. The same tree ashes that enriched the soil also became the foundation of rapé.
Who is Wawacuru Curushiña?+
Wawacuru Curushiña — "Enchanted Macaw" — is an elder of the Shawandawa people of the Juruá Valley in western Brazil, one of only a handful of ethnic groups remaining there. The first-hand account of rapé's origins in this guide comes from time spent with her. In these cultures, knowledge is passed down mostly by word of mouth, and especially by the elders.
How is tobacco connected to the black-earth clearings?+
In the account passed down by the elders, tobacco often established itself on its own in the black-earth clearings, its broad leaves shading the bare jungle floor from the sun and the rains. Once the leaves had matured and dried naturally, the medicine keepers gathered them, ground them to a fine powder, and combined them with the tree ashes — the beginning of rapé as it is still made today.
Quick Definitions
An Indigenous people of the Juruá Valley, western Brazil — one of only a handful of ethnic groups remaining there.
An elder medicine keeper of a tribe, the traditional maker of rapé.
The "black earth" — fertile, human-made Amazonian dark soil created from ash and charcoal.
Discarding the old ways in favour of the new can lead to blindness — valuable answers remain in the jungle, answers we may collectively need.
Sources & further reading
- 1Lombardo, U., et al. "Evidence confirms an anthropic origin of Amazonian Dark Earths." Nature Communications. 2022;13:3444. doi:10.1038/s41467-022-31064-2
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product and information are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Content is provided for educational and cultural purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.