Support Jibaros
Bija Botanica is focused on decolonizing plant medicine through education and helping others reclaim their ancient connection with the land. The farming practices of our ancestors were sustainable and conscious. There was a divine relationship between Madre Tierra and the harvester.
Today, there are many farmers that are making great strides to bring back these sustainable practices but are often limited to what they can accomplish because of the lack of financial or physical support. We often cycle the farms that we donate to because it is difficult to pick just one with a mission statement that resonates deeply with our beliefs.
Along with donating to sustainable farms, we donate to organizations that support Caribbean Indigenous communities. My ancestors, the Tainos, were deemed "extinct" but we are still here. We fight hard to preserve our ways and share our stories. Multiple organizations have come together to rebuild our native language but the path to reclaiming is a long one. Supporting these communities is very near and dear to me. Without the guidance of my ancestors, Bija Botanica would not be here today.
Below are some of the organizations that we donate to and/or support.
I highly recommend learning more about the above organizations and making a donation if their mission resonates with your spirit.
My “Support Jibaros” initiative was made as a way to support my people while living in Florida. 10% of the profits from my sales goes to supporting Jibaros, Puerto Rican farmers, that are rebuilding and educating our communities using ancestral practices. A portion also goes to Taino yukayekes (tribes) that are reclaiming and teaching our ways.
There is a very popular misconception that Tainos were completely wiped away by Columbus and are now “extinct”. While Columbus did reduce the number of our ancestors drastically, our people survived and our practices were preserved. There are multiple yukayekes that are working hard to teach our ways to reconnecting tainos. Donating a portion of the profits from to Taino communities, helps them continue to offer free education, put together ceremonies for the community, and most importantly, helps us BUY BACK OUR LAND. To lift Boriken (Puerto Rico), we need to go back to our roots. By supporting our farmers and Tainos, we can make Puerto Rico self sufficient by leveraging our ancestral ways to reconnect with the land and rebuild our communities.
Read the blog post "Support Jibaros" for more!
Thank you, Jajom, y gracias for your support always 💚