At this time of turmoil, chaos, uncertainty, and anxiety, it is powerful to touch into the very taproot of being alive. Nothing makes life so present for us than the passing of someone we love.

Last week, one of the great elders of the Sapara people passed away. Her name was Mukusawa, and she was the matriarch of the Sapara Nation. With only 635 people, the Sapara are facing extinction. They live in the sacred headwaters of the Amazon rainforest in the heart of the world, and they are dedicated to preserving their homeland, one of the most biodiverse places on earth.

Musukawa is the mother of Manari Ushigua, one of the most powerful and eloquent shamans in the world and the head of the Sapara Nation. He is married to Belen Paez, the vice president of the Pachamama Alliance, and they have a son, Tsamaru. They were with her when she passed. No one knows how old she was – perhaps in her late 80s or 90s. She herself did not know, that’s not something that was important to her.

She was one of the last people left who spoke the Sapara language. As we all know, culture is very embedded in language, and when a language goes, it’s difficult to maintain the depth and integrity of the culture. She did all that she could in her life to teach Sapara to her ten children and many, many grandchildren in her community of Llamanacocha. Mukusawa didn’t talk much, but when her people gathered around her, she was clearly their matriarch, clearly the source of so much of the wisdom and power of that culture.

In our many journeys to the rainforest, Sara and I were lucky enough to know her, to be in her presence, to sit at her feet, to hold her, to hug her. She welcomed everyone with warmth and a loving smile. She always displayed such serenity and contentment, and managed her household and community with looks more than words.

We share this remembrance of her with you because there is something quite special about her lineage – the matriarch who guides generations and is the servant of Pachamama, Mother Earth. We so need that energetic spirit in our world now!

His holiness, the Dalai Lama has said that the old ones, the elderly, are our roots. They are the roots of the great Tree of Life, and those of us who are younger are its branches, buds, and foliage. Without our roots, we cannot bear fruit.

May the dreams of the elderly connect to and nourish the dreams of the young. In a world that is overwhelmed with data, information, and knowledge but is starving for profound wisdom, may the wisdom of the ages continue to flow. May Mukusawa’s lineage ensure the survival, growth, and sustainable regeneration of the Sapara people, and may we all connect to the Grandmother energy that empowers us, enlightens us, and envelops us in love.

With love,

Lynne & Sara