Huni Kuin Necklace – Kaxinawa Beaded Tie Necklace with Kene Symbols

Mood: Grounded, Protected, Wise
Best For: Ceremony, altar work, a statement piece

Type: Necklace in the shape of a tie
Colors: Multicolor, with symbols
Tribe: Huni Kuin (Kaxinawa)
Origin: Acre, Brazilian Amazon
Made: By hand, bead by bead

A necklace that hangs long down the chest, covered in the sacred patterns of the Huni Kuin.

Huni Kuin (Kaxinawa) Symbol Necklace

This multicolor piece is shaped like a tie: a necklace that falls in a long panel down the chest, so the patterns can be seen clearly. Every part of it is covered in symbols.

Who Are the Huni Kuin

The Kaxinawa call themselves Huni Kuin, “the true people.” They live in Acre, Brazil, and across the border in Peru, and they are one of the largest indigenous peoples of the region. Their ceremonies with nixi pae, their name for ayahuasca, and their songs are known far beyond the forest.

The Language of Kene

The Huni Kuin call their patterns kene. It is said they were first given by Yube, the great boa, to a woman who learned to paint and weave them. Each kene has a name and a meaning, and the people read them like writing. They are painted on faces and bodies, woven into textiles and stitched into beadwork like this.

Every piece is made by hand, so no two are exactly the same. The one you receive is the one in the photos.

What Huni Kuin Jewelry Carries

For the Huni Kuin, a piece of jewelry is never just decoration.

• The spirit of the materials – seeds, feathers and beads are believed to carry the spirit of the forest, and whoever wears them carries it too.
• A language of patterns – every pattern tells a story, a myth or a teaching, and keeps the memory of the people alive from one generation to the next.
• Taken with respect – materials are gathered without harming the forest, as a way of giving thanks for what it gives.
• Born in vision – many patterns and colors come from visions seen in ceremony with ayahuasca, nixi pae.
• A talisman – worn for protection, strength and harmony, and to stay connected with yourself and with nature.