Your gift goes directly to the field

The reciprocity model sustains Bridgepath's community initiatives

Phase 2 begins in August 2026. What the Mamos and Sagas carry has never been written. Your gift helps ensure it will be, for the Wiwa and for the world

Fund Shembuta (Ley de Origen), Wiwa Women’s Economic Sovereignty Program, and community wellbeing programs. Every dollar reaches the Sierra Nevada.

Phase 2 of Shembuta (Ley de Origen) begins in August 2026. We will visit 14 sacred sites in La Guajira, guided by Wiwa Mamos and Sagas. We need $47,000.

In 2022, UNESCO inscribed the ancestral knowledge of the Wiwa people onto its Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage recognizing their "Ancestral System of Knowledge" as essential for protecting the Sierra Nevada's ecosystem and cultural identity.

In March 2026, the Colombian government declared 942,000 hectares of the Sierra Nevada a protected natural reserve. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to ensure this knowledge reaches the next generation.

See exactly what your gift funds

What your gift makes possible

$50

Supports one documentation session with a Mamo or Saga in the Sierra Nevada

$150

Funds a Wiwa woman's materials for one month of sacred weaving restoration

$500

Covers one field day documenting oral Ley de Origen at a sacred site

Our work includes:

● Coaching programs, wisdom circles, and group journeys that support individuals in reconnecting with purpose and resilience

● Community-centered and land-based initiatives that strengthen cultural continuity and local leadership

● Ethical, reciprocal funding models where earned revenue from wellness programs supports community initiatives

● Bridgepath works in partnership—listening closely, honoring worldviews, and supporting self-determined paths to well-being.

Wiwa Mamo documenting oral ancestral knowledge in Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta Colombia — Bridgepath Foundation La Ley de Origen

Imagine that your gift is in a room with a Mamo in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, as he utters words that have never been written down..

Wiwa woman restoring sacred ancestral weaving traditions Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta — Bridgepath Foundation Wiwa Women's Art Initiative

Imagine a Wiwa woman reviving a sacred weaving tradition that her grandmother nearly lost, thanks to your donation, which has allowed her to cover the cost of materials for a month.

Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta Colombia protected natural reserve Wiwa indigenous cultural guardians Ley de Origen Bridgepath Foundation

Imagine being part of a once-in-a-generation moment: documenting a living, sacred law in a landscape that Colombia has just designated as a protected nature reserve.

This model allows Bridgepath to remain adaptable, culturally respectful, and impactful across contexts. A Wiwa grandmother's weaving encodes a map of the territory her granddaughter may never see. A coaching client who found her footing after years of disconnection. These are not separate stories, they are the same story. Your gift moves through both.

A few quick answers

Is Bridgepath a registered nonprofit?

Yes. Bridgepath Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization. Your donation is tax-deductible in the United States.

How does my gift reach the community?

Directly. We operate on a non-extractive model — no overhead percentage. Funds go to field programs under community leadership.

Can I designate my gift?

Yes — you can direct your donation to Ley de Origen (Shembuta), Wiwa Women's Art, or general community wellbeing programs.

How do I know the Wiwa community is actually leading this and not just being helped by an outside organization?

That question matters deeply to us — and it's the right one to ask. Bridgepath was invited into this work by the Organización Wiwa Golkushe Tayrona (OWGT). We operate entirely under the guidance of Mamos and Sagas — they set the agenda, the pace, and the protocols. We don't document anything without their authorization. We are a bridge, not a director. MariaClaudia's own Muisca heritage is part of why this relationship is built on genuine cultural respect, not extraction.

Can I set up a recurring donation or make a gift on behalf of my organization?

Yes to both. You can set up a monthly recurring gift directly through our donation form, it takes one click and you can cancel anytime. For organizational or corporate giving, reach out to Maria Claudia directly at and she'll walk you through how your institution's support can be designated to a specific initiative — Shembuta, Wiwa Women's Art, or general community programs.

How does personal healing connect to the Wiwa people?

Two ways. The financial one: revenue from Bridgepath's wellness programs flows directly to our community initiatives in Colombia, including the Ley de Origen - SHEMBUTA documentation and the Wiwa Women’s Economic Sovereignty Program. When someone invests in coaching or a retreat, a portion of that investment reaches the Sierra Nevada. No overhead between them.

The deeper one: the Wiwa are not unique in this belief. Across Indigenous and ancient cultures worldwide, from the Andean concept of Pachamama to Amazonian cosmologies, from African ubuntu philosophy to the Celtic understanding of land as living ancestor, to the yogic principle of Advaita, the non-dual nature of all existence, the same truth appears: humans are not separate from the Earth. We are of it. In yoga philosophy, the boundary between self and world is understood as illusion. The practice of returning to the body, to the breath, to presence, is also a practice of returning to belonging. The Wiwa call this relationship Sheiumun. Their Ley de Origen governs every connection between people, water, land, and all life. When we do the inner work of reconnecting to ourselves, we are practicing, in a small but real way, the same remembering that the Wiwa Mamos and Sagas have protected for centuries. The healing is not one-directional. It never was.

Do I need to be a coaching client to support the Wiwa work?

Not at all. You are welcome here as a donor, full stop. The three paths Bridgepath offers (personal well-being, organizational wellness, and community/planetary impact) are independent. Many of our most committed supporters came first as donors, with no interest in coaching. Your belief in the work is enough

What will the $47,000 actually produce, and how will I know it happened?

Phase 2 will produce: audio recordings from 14 sacred sites in La Guajira (the oral Palabra Mayor of Mamos and Sagas in Dumuna); preliminary written segments of the Ley de Origen in Dumuna and Spanish; and community-validated archiving protocols approved by OWGT.

All materials are held under OWGT custody and ownership, not Bridgepath's.

Bridgepath publishes an annual impact report. Donors who give $500 or more receive a personal update from Maria Claudia after each field journey, including the number of sites visited and a brief account from the field. To receive field updates, note your email when donating or write to [email protected]