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About Our Project
Siwá, in the Bribri & Cabécar language, refers to the wisdom, knowledge, and philosophy to live in peace on this earth. Siwá are deep principles rooted in matrilineal and matriarchal culture that guide us to live in harmony with ourselves, nature, all beings, and within the spiritual realms.
Mission
The Se Siwá project is dedicated to sharing the loyalty, dignity, and warmth of our people and lands which have never been conquered, and our spirit that remains undefeated. We reconnect visitors with nature, spirituality, and the wisdom of the Bribri & Cabécar through immersive, authentic, and respectful tourism experiences.
Meet The Se Siwá Family
Gamita
Rebecca
Hermogenes
Our Inspiration
In 2012, I asked one of my grandfathers about what the media was saying regarding the end of the world according to the Mayan calendar. He replied:
"My son, I am not Maya. I am Bribri, and we have our own prophecy about these times we are living through and the times that are yet to come.” Then, in a calm, measured, and serene way, he told me:
"There is a heart scattered throughout the world. Millions of people, regardless of color, race, belief, or origin, each carry a small piece of this great heart that has been dispersed across the Earth. They are beginning to understand that Mother Earth, Iriria, is their mother too, and that she must be cared for. If we can understand that, then we are brothers and sisters."
"We are passing into a new epoch, a new era. We are moving from one spiritual level to another, and Indigenous peoples will hold many of the answers that the world has forgotten. The path of the heart is a path that leads backward—to the original cultures, to the ancient cultures—because it is the path of the human being, the path of the heart. And they will come, my son; many people will come from all parts of the world."
Indigenous peoples have been the guardians of the Earth par excellence. However, it is impossible to speak about nature without speaking about the people who have protected Mother Earth. In this regard, we face two major contradictions.
The first is that international and national resources intended for the protection of Mother Earth rarely reach Indigenous communities or empower Indigenous families. Furthermore, the Western concept of environmental protection creates a strong separation between people and nature, whereas Indigenous peoples have always lived in harmony with the forests, within the forests, and alongside the forests, using them for shelter, food, housing, and medicine. Therefore, there is no nature without people.
Projects like this one help economically empower women, families, and local people who are not only members of the community but also stewards of vast areas of primary rainforest—forests that are among the few remaining in Costa Rica. These forests are conserved by our own will, not because we are paid or financially incentivized, but because of the fundamental Bribri and Cabécar philosophical principle that nature belongs to future generations.
We must always think about the next four generations. We must understand that this land is an inheritance for our children. We cannot destroy it or leave them without water or medicine.
The role of women is implicit within our matriarchal culture. Our actions and decisions must be aligned with this philosophy. One of the most important reasons for projects like this is to economically empower our daughters, sisters, and mothers, because the modern world requires financial resources. They cannot build their futures today without the basic means to study and gain access to the opportunities that the Western world also offers.
We would be honored to have you visit our sacred lands and learn the way of our people. Be welcome.