“I am a part of the new generation that has witnessed the new technologies arriving within our territories. We understood the need to adapt to these new instruments that you bring in order to adapt to this new reality. I don’t need to fight with my bow and arrows anymore. I only need to speak the same language as you. Who would have thought that indigenous people from the middle of the forest living in such a traditional way would today be launching an artwork with this artificial intelligence and all the technology it involves. It doesn’t make me and my people less Yawanawá or less indigenous. When I return back home I will be walking barefoot on the ground. I will continue to play in the river with my children and lighting my fire under the starry sky. But when I want to speak to you or to my brothers, I will take my phone and speak to whoever I want and continue protecting my forests in the same way. But now speaking the same language as you.”

  – Yawanawá Chief Isku Kua

“Today, I am witnessing the first dialogue of our civilisation. Because here I stand, not just as a Yawanawá Indigenous man from the Amazon, but I speak for nature itself. We are not the lungs of the world. We are the heart of the world.”

– Yawanawá Chief Nixiwaka Yawanawá

“This movement where [the Yawanawá] are now living is the time of culture and the time of spirituality, where they are able to share with the world, and be empowered. And this is very much through these alliances. So the people, the Yawanawá people, are people that have always been open to alliances. They have, even in their stories, prophecies about this. So it’s also due to these alliances that they are living in the abundance they are living today and that we are able to be spearheading such innovation with the outside world between the indigenous.”

– Indigenous activist Mariana Maia

“When we think about what the Yawanawá do, they are the preserver of ancient wisdom, ancient technology and since we are working with technology, it was so interesting and mind-opening to see how they initially connect with each other, especially in the sense of AI.”

– Efsun Erkilic, Executive Producer of Refik Anadol Studio

To complete the launch programme, Yawanawá chiefs Nixiwaka and Isku Kua led prayers and musical performances of traditional songs together with Nixiwaka’s daughter Ykashahu and Ninunihu, granddaughter of the great medicine man Yawarani.