Cosakait (Palo Santo) Bundle

Cosakait (pronounced “koh-sah-kite”) is the Toba word for Palo Santo, a sacred wood traditionally used for cleansing, protection, and uplifting the spirit. Its scent is sweet, woody, and citrusy, with warm balsamic undertones—burned to dispel emotional heaviness, clear stagnant energy, and invite peace and renewal.

In Toba oral tradition, Cosakait was a virtuous young man whose unreturned love left him gravely ill. Before he passed, he prayed to Yago (God) that his spirit might remain on Earth to care for the one he loved. From his grave grew a fragrant tree—its wood became the sacred Palo Santo, a symbol of love, protection, and enduring kindness.

These restorative qualities are also present in the tree’s physical properties. Research shows that Palo Santo contains essential oils rich in limonene and α-terpineol—compounds with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and mood-balancing effects. These plant properties support emotional clarity and energetic protection, offering a gentle sense of grounding with every breath of its sacred smoke.

📦 BUNDLE SPECS

• Approximately 4 inches in length

• Hand-harvested from naturally fallen trees in South America

• Sustainably sourced by an Indigenous-owned company

• Packaged with a tag noting your contribution to reparative justice

📜 HISTORY OF COLONIZATION

• Spanish Conquest & Land Seizure: Spanish colonizers invaded and claimed vast forest territories across South America, especially in the Gran Chaco region, for Christianization, forced labor, and extraction.

• Government Land Sales (19th–20th century): Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay divided and sold the Gran Chaco to cattle ranchers, oil companies, and timber industries—displacing Indigenous nations like the Toba, Ayoreo, Guaraní, and Wichí.
  

• Cultural Suppression: Throughout the 20th century, Toba and Ayoreo peoples were confined to narrow reserves or missions, where their language, ceremony, and forest practices were suppressed or outlawed.
  

• Deforestation & Industry: The Chiquitano and Gran Chaco dry forests have been cleared at alarming rates for cattle grazing, soy monoculture, and extraction industries. Palo Santo habitats are increasingly endangered.
  

⚖️ REPARATIVE JUSTICE EFFORTS

• Siekopai Nation Land Victory (2023): After decades of displacement, the Siekopai Nation reclaimed over 42,000 hectares of ancestral land in Ecuador's Amazon. This legal triumph restores their stewardship over biodiverse forests, including regions where Palo Santo thrives.

• Waorani Legal Protection (2019): The Waorani people secured a court ruling halting oil drilling on 180,000 hectares of their territory in Ecuador. This decision reinforces Indigenous rights to free, prior, and informed consent, safeguarding sacred lands and ecosystems.

• Sustainable Harvesting Initiatives: Indigenous cooperatives in Ecuador and Peru practice ethical Palo Santo harvesting by collecting only naturally fallen wood. Organizations like One Love Holistics collaborate with local communities to ensure regenerative practices and reforestation efforts.

• Legal Recognition in Peru (2024): A Peruvian court acknowledged the land rights of the Siekopai communities, mandating the return of ancestral territories. This sets a precedent for Indigenous land restitution and environmental justice in the region.

• Inter-American Court Ruling (2025): The Inter-American Court of Human Rights ordered Ecuador to protect uncontacted Indigenous peoples from industrial encroachment, emphasizing the importance of preserving untouched forests and respecting Indigenous sovereignty.