I am Dr. Hayra Kuntanawa, co-leader of the Kuntanawa people in the Amazon region of Acre, Brazil, and the first foreigner and white woman to assume this role for a nation in the Amazon. Alongside my husband, the well-known and respected Prince Haru Kuntanawa, who is the great leader of the Kuntanawa people, this is the story of how love, intuition, and divine guidance transformed my life and led us to a shared mission of healing the planet. In many ways, this journey feels like the real-life Avatar movie, playing out in today’s age—a story of deep connection, cultural preservation, and planetary healing. The culture and story portrayed in Avatar are not fantasy for the Amazon—it is a reality happening today, and we stand with the Kuntanawa and other indigenous peoples to safeguard this sacred land and its wisdom.
Eight years ago, I was happily single, thriving in my independence, and completely content with the life I had built for myself. I had no intention of changing that. But one day, I felt a clear and undeniable call—to travel to Pisac, Peru, and visit a specific café. At the time, I was practicing reading my Akashic Records, and when I opened them, I received precise guidance that I should go. The Records described in vivid detail the person I would meet—his physical appearance, his energy, and the profound impact he would have on my life. Someone significant, someone I would recognize, was waiting for me.
Trusting the message, I traveled to Pisac and made my way to the café. As I sat down, I felt a quiet anticipation. Then, as if by divine orchestration, Prince Haru Kuntanawa walked in. It was his first time touring in Pisac, and he had been traveling to heal his heart while supporting local communities through ceremony and cultural exchange. He was exactly as the Akashic Records had described him. The moment our eyes met, it felt like a connection that transcended time, something far beyond us both. We became instant friends, and the bond we shared was profound, deep, and immediate. It wasn’t romantic at first; it was a connection of pure trust and mutual understanding. Little did I know how much that moment would change my life.
After our time in Peru, I returned to the United States, and Haru went back to his village in Acre. My friends started teasing me, saying that I must have feelings for him. I was in complete denial, confident in my happiness as a single woman. But as I opened my heart, I realized they were right. When I finally accepted my feelings, I sent Haru a message through Google Translate: “I’m starting to have feelings for you, and I just wanted you to know.” His reply stunned me: “I have the same feelings. Let’s get married.”
I was overwhelmed and a little terrified, to be honest. It seemed so sudden and crazy. But something inside me urged me to trust this path. So, I took a leap of faith and volunteered to work as a doctor and therapist in his village. When I arrived in Acre, the connection we had in Peru immediately reignited, and we began building our lives together.
The early years of our relationship were beautifully simple. Since neither of us spoke each other’s language, we communicated with just two phrases: “Thank you” and “I love you.” Those words were all we needed, and they carried us through. There was no fighting—until three years later, when we began learning each other’s language. That’s when we discovered something hilarious: Google Translate had played a joke on us! My message about having feelings for him had been mistranslated, making it sound like I was proposing marriage. Haru’s reply—“I have the same feelings; let’s get married”—was equally a product of this mistranslation. Yet, even with this funny twist of fate, we knew that our union was divinely guided.
A year after we first met, we officially married. Today, years later, we have a beautiful family and a shared mission. Together, we walk between two worlds—Eastern and Western—blending the wisdom of the forest with modern medicine. As co-leaders of the Kuntanawa people, who were liberated from slavery only in 1988 and are still healing from the genocide of 1911, we work tirelessly to restore dignity to our people. The Kuntanawa are wisdom carriers and guardians of the Amazon, which serves as the heart and lungs of the planet.
While our mission includes healing the Earth, protecting the Amazon, and inspiring others to be their best, our greatest mission is to show up for our family and be the best versions of ourselves for them. We believe that by healing ourselves and prioritizing our family, we set the foundation for everything else we do—our union, our community work, and our planetary mission. It is within our family that we cultivate the harmony, love, and resilience necessary to carry out our broader vision for the world.
What is happening in the Amazon is the very real story of Avatar. The rainforest, a treasure trove of biodiversity and wisdom, is under siege from deforestation, mining, and industrial exploitation. Just as the Na’vi work to safeguard Pandora, the Kuntanawa and other indigenous peoples are helping to safeguard and be guardians of their lands, cultures, and sacred connection to the Earth. The Amazon’s future affects all of humanity, and its preservation is critical to the planet’s survival.
Our mission includes hosting retreats, facilitating plant medicine ceremonies, offering healing and training, singing sacred songs, and performing chants in concerts around the world. We also appear at public events to raise awareness about the Amazon and the climate crisis. Beyond this, we engage in activism to influence Brazilian politics and protect the Amazon rainforest. Through our project, Transform and Illuminate, we plant trees and support impoverished nations, fostering sustainability and hope.
This is the real-life Avatar story—where connection to nature, respect for indigenous wisdom, self-healing, and the healing of the planet converge in profound ways. None of this would have been possible without listening to intuition, trusting in love, and believing in the divine guidance that brought us together. Today, our lives are devoted to awakening humanity, healing the Earth, nurturing consciousness, and most importantly, being present for our family. I am endlessly grateful for this path, for Haru, and for the powerful mission we carry forward together.