about us
Jea[/heya/]noun:house or home.
heya is an indigenous e-commerce & ecotourism company that designs communication tools alongside the Amazonian people, which allow the world to participate in the sustainable development and responsible stewardship of the Amazon Rainforest – in the tradition of our ancestors.
On heya, a new generation of Amazon defenders is growing up empowered with the digital tools they need to reach the world.
About the Founder
Tiyua Uyunkar has always been a leader. From his early days guiding visitors through his rainforest home—where he was raised by his mother, Waraseruk, and his many older siblings—he has been charting a way forward.
Tiyua has a vision: a world of Indigenous industry, rooted in sustainable tradition and powered by nature-based technology, directly connected to the global marketplace.
Having first served as president of his people, the Achuar Nation, Tiyua has since gone on to higher office. Today he sits at the head of government in the jungle province of Morona Santiago, Ecuador.
As a public servant and de facto leader of his people, Tiyua has come to see economic independence as essential—not only to the future of the Achuar, but to the survival of the Amazon itself. Without economic independence in rainforest communities, the extractive frontier cannot be stopped.
That’s why he founded heya: a platform connecting brilliant Indigenous artisans, healers, and warrior-poets—like his mother—with people everywhere.
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