About Us

Aniwa was born from a simple yet profound realization: the solutions humanity is searching for have been safeguarded by Indigenous peoples for generations.

In 2014, after years of exploring Indigenous ways of relating to nature, Aniwa founder Vivien Vilela spent 28 days fasting alone in nature. During that time, she experienced a deep sense of clarity that her life's purpose was to help amplify Indigenous voices and protect the cultures and ecosystems that sustain all life.

Months later, at an Indigenous gathering in Brazil, she met Huni Kuin leader Ninawa Pai da Mata, Yoreme leader Matzuwa Oscar, and collaborator Rudy Randa. Together, they traveled to Ninawa's village in the Brazilian Amazon after raising funds to build an artesian well for the community. What was intended as a single act of support became the beginning of lifelong friendships and a journey of learning from Indigenous elders across the Americas.

Witnessing communities living in deep reciprocity with one another and the natural world revealed another way of being, one rooted in joy, belonging, gratitude, and reverence for life. As trust grew, so did the vision. Together with Indigenous leaders, Aniwa supported community-led projects, created spaces for cultural exchange, and helped build bridges between ancient wisdom and the modern world.

In 2017, Aniwa hosted its first gathering, bringing together Indigenous elders from around the world with people seeking a deeper connection to themselves, nature, and purpose. Participants described the experience as life-changing. Elders called it a vital step toward remembering our shared responsibility to care for the Earth.

During the pandemic, many elders shared a common message: the time had come to preserve and share teachings that had traditionally been passed from generation to generation through oral tradition. In response, Aniwa began connecting people around the world through online teachings, making ancestral wisdom more accessible while honoring its origins.

Today, Aniwa is a global movement and a bridge between Indigenous wisdom and humanity. We bring together elders, seekers, entrepreneurs, scientists, artists, technologists, and leaders to remember what connects us: to ourselves, to one another, to nature, and to spirit.

We envision a regenerative world where humanity remembers its sacred interconnectedness with the Earth, and where ancestral wisdom guides the way toward unity, reciprocity, stewardship, and a thriving future for all life.