The Traditional School of Mutum

Living Sustainably is proud to join forces with Indigenous Celebration to help raise funds to re-establish the Traditional School of Mutum (TSM) in the Mutum Village of Acre Brazil for Yawanawá children ages 7-14. The TSM will provide food, lodging, and school supplies to Yawanawá children learning their native language, traditional legends, ancestral spiritual practices and sacred plant knowledge; as passed down from generation to generation.

Currently the Yawanawá language is in danger of becoming extinct as many of the youth have abandoned their traditional tongue in favor of Portuguese.

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?

While it is widely acknowledged that the degradation of the natural environment, in particular traditional habitats, entails a loss of cultural and linguistic diversity, new studies suggest that language loss, in its turn, has a negative impact on biodiversity conservation.

Biodiversity is fundamentally linked to language and traditional knowledge. The knowledge and deep understanding of the local environment and the elaborate complex classification system for the natural world indigenous communities hold is embedded in indigenous names, oral traditions, and taxonomies. The language embodies unique local knowledge of the cultures and natural systems in the region in which it is spoken. When a community shifts to another language all this knowledge can be lost.

The mission of Living Sustainably is to help provide education and resources in the areas of biodiversity, sustainable living, permaculture, nutrition, food sovereignty, alternative building methods, and holistic & alternative health.

The Amazon Basin contains the world's largest rainforest, which represents over 60 percent of the world's remaining rainforests. More than half this forest lies in Brazil. The Amazon rainforest affords the planet with irreplaceable ecosystem services that are increasingly being recognized by researchers and policymakers.

Ethnobotanists and ethnobiologists recognize the importance of preserving local and indigenous cultures to the success of initiatives related to endangered species recovery and restoration activities. It is vital to empower the Indigenous communities who hold a sacred relationship with these lands to continue to exist, and protect these important resources for all of humanity. The best way to protect the Amazon and to ensure the health and well being of the planet, begins with taking care of its stewards! They are our first line of defense, and the natural protectors of our environment.

THE GOAL

To rebuild the Traditional School of Mutum which was damaged during a historic flood in the fall of 2014. *Some of the funds have already been raised through Indigenous Celebrations Inc for this part of the project.*

To fund the tuition for 20 children to attend, the Tuition per child (which cover food, lodging, supplies) is estimated to be at 250 Reais (currently about $75 US) per month.

Living Sustainably will be donating the following Thank You Gifts to those who make a tax deductible contribution towards the Traditional School of Mutum:

Donations between

~ $5 to $99 - Thank you for your support! Look forward to hearing all about the progress of the Traditional School of Mutum;

~ $100 to $300 - Receive a T-shirt showing support for the Traditional School of Mutum;

~ $301 to $500 - Receive a T-shirt showing support for the Traditional School of Mutum, and a bracelet handmade by the women of Mutum Village;

~ $501 to $1000 - Receive a T-shirt showing support for the Traditional School of Mutum, a bracelet and necklace handmade by the women of Mutum Village;

~ $1001 to $1500 - Receive a T-shirt showing support for the Traditional School of Mutum, a bracelet, necklace, and headband handmade by the women of Mutum Village;

~ $1501 and above - Receive a T-shirt showing support for the Traditional School of Mutum, a bracelet, necklace, and headband handmade by the women of Mutum Village, a private Sacred Ceremony for 1 or 2 people with Karen including traditional applications of Rapé and Sanaga if appropriate.

In addition all who sponsor a child will be receiving regular correspondence from the child sponsored sharing what they are learning and culture.

https://www.livingsustainablynow.org;

https://www.facebook.com/LivingSustainablyInc;

http://www.indigenouscelebration.org/projects