March will bring good news, as the Ancestral Culture gathering will be held for the third consecutive year in Costa Rica to honor the voices of indigenous peoples.
At the event, each participant will enjoy a unique experience to enrich the spirit, promote wisdom, strengthen the connection with nature, and witness in a special way the bonds between tribes, their practices, and traditions.
As every year, Cultura Ancestral will welcome special guests from other nations, each belonging to communities that safeguard and preserve ancestral knowledge of their territory, such as Chile, Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela.
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Among the invited indigenous communities from Costa Rica and other nations are: Boruca, Cabecar, Broran/Terraba, Huetar, Ngobe, Mapuche Qolla, Inga, and Cohahuilteco.
Attendees will be filled with knowledge in each activity, enjoying art, music, gastronomy, and crafts. They will nourish every part of their being with the valuable tradition and wisdom of our ancestors.
The schedule of activities is as follows:
Cultural Exchange Agenda — March 27–29, 2026
Friday — March 27
5:00 PM — Opening Ceremony
- Word of Opening – Huetar
- Dance from Putumayo – Joe Antonio Leal (Inga – Colombia)
- Kuauhtli Vásquez & Delfina Akara
- Guadalupe Urbina
- Sovereignty Alliance Collective
Saturday — March 28
8:00 AM — Prayer & Seeds
8:30 AM — Huetar Clay Workshop & Ancestral Games
Rancho Biriteca
10:30 AM — Temazcal Ceremony (Sweat Lodge)
Isaias Ramos – Jatuntaki & Gopali Aleaga (Ecuador)
12:30 PM — Lunch
2:00 PM — Boruca Mask Painting Workshop
Lourdes Rojas
4:00 PM — Musical Ceremony: Songs & Dance
Carlos Brenny & Abel Pereira (Cabecar-Bribri)
Felipe Kilakeo & Adriana Chantico – Ikkaruna
Lucas Alberti y Marypaz Munay
6:30 PM — Dinner
7:30 PM — Word Circle: Sovereignty & Autonomy
Felipe Kilakeo e Ikka Salud – Chile
Sunday — March 29
8:00 AM — Cabecar Cacao Ceremony
Luis Quetzal — Cabecar Elder
10:00 AM — Dances of Universal Peace
Lucas Alberti & Marypaz Munay
11:00 AM — Ecology & Conservation — Broran Culture Revival — Alianza de Chicha
Jorge Sibas (Broran/Terraba)
12:30 PM — Lunch
1:30 PM — Wisdom Talk: Eagle, Condor & Quetzal
Kuauhtli Vásquez
3:00 PM — Ancestral Singing Workshop
Kuauhtli Vásquez & Delfina Akara
4:30 PM — Integration Workshop: Andean Chakana
Isaias Romero & Gopali (Ecuador)
6:30 PM — Dinner
7:30 PM — Closing: Boruca Fire Ceremony & Dance
Boruca Elder Lourdes Rojas
Ritual of the Word
It is worth noting that Cultura Ancestral was created through the Fundación Alianza Soberana (sovereignty alliance foundation).
The foundation was created in 2023 as a collective initiative that primarily seeks to create opportunities for individuals and communities, protecting their growth through freedom.
Regarding the Ancestral Culture gathering, this year we spoke with Oriana Pedraza Rodríguez, a native of Colombia, who continues to help organize part of the Ritual of the Word, also known as “Mambeo,” an interesting activity.
Oriana explained to us what Mambeo is, one of the main themes of Ancestral Culture 2026.
“The name comes from the sacred plant called mambe (derived from coca). This mambe preparation mainly comes from the Amazon region of Colombia and is also practiced in some areas of Peru and Brazil,” she said.
Mambeo, a tradition of the indigenous peoples, is performed around a fire using mambe (made from coca leaves and yarumo ash) and ambil (a preparation of tobacco paste with vegetable salt). “This ritual is a sacred dialogue in which one seeks to reach a higher state of mind, where the spirit speaks for all, one heart, one mind, and one word that comes through divine inspiration.”
Weaving words in Mambeo means that indigenous peoples maintain order and can resolve any difficulty; it is called high-level communication. As they engage in increasingly deep and healing dialogue, they use mambe and ambil (the tobacco seed is heart-shaped and the coca leaf is elongated like the tongue, which means words with heart, words with spirit).
Physically, mambe also oxygenates the blood and aids concentration, while ambil is purgative, cleanses, and aids focus. Both help inspire words.
How did you get involved with Cultura Ancestral?
One of the organizers of Cultura Ancestral, Daniel Yepez, contacted you through a mutual friend of Oriana’s because of the music you perform. After talking and learning about all the beautiful work you do, they invited you to be part of the event in 2026 and, of course, to share your knowledge about the Ritual of the Word.
What does it mean to be part of Cultura Ancestral this year? For the Colombian girl, this is a great opportunity. “I feel honored and grateful to be part of this very special event. I love supporting everything that connects us to our roots and helps us recognize our ancestral heritage,” she added.
Definitely, the organizers: Diego Díaz, founder-organizer of Cultura Ancestral; Daniel Yepez, founder of the Alianza Soberana foundation, Anabel Miranda, originally from Panama and a local resident of the Playa Hermosa area in Jacó, who is in charge of social media and marketing, among other colleagues, will do it again, in an authentic and special way in Esterillos Este and Quebrada Amarilla (Costa Rica).
Stay tuned for more detailed information about activities and times, which we will be publishing here on TCRN, so you can stay up to date with everything…
If you would like to be part of Ancestral Culture this year, here is the email address and contact numbers for the organizers:Email: [email protected] and Phone Numbers: (Diego Díaz): +50683840367 and (Resonance CR): +50687546850. You can follow them on social media: Instagram: @sovereignty.alliance, @resonance.costarica .
To obtain tickets for the event, please click HERE
