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2 episodes with Kumeyaay
2 episodes with Kumeyaay
Zonly is a gem of a human being. He is a graduate of Deer Creek High School, Zonly went on to attend Southwestern Christian University where he played baseball. After a season, Zonly decided to focus on his art career. Primarily a self-taught artist, Zonly would paint as a child by watching other artists on PBS. Zonly also gained influence from both his grandmothers introducing him to the artsier side of the world. Zonly has strong influences from his Kumeyaay and Chumash heritage, which helped in creating multiple Native American collections. Over the years, Zonly has spent thousands of hours mastering various styles and techniques. This commitment and drive has allowed for Zonly to develop his unique style as a pop expressionist artist and open his own gallery, Studio Z, in downtown Edmond, OK. Operating out of Studio Z, Zonly currently specializes in custom artwork, murals, sculptures, and live performance painting. Since opening Studio Z, Zonly has become deeply involved in Oklahoma's local community. He's donated his time, talent, and paintings to Oklahoma's local charities: WINGS, The Anna's House Foundation, Oklahoma Lawyers for Children, the Oklahoma City Indian Clinic, and Ronald McDonald House Charities.This episode was such a blessing to be apart of, I hope you all enjoy… KEEPGOING!Follow Zonly:FB- https://www.facebook.com/share/1B4Upc4mT8/?mibextid=wwXIfrIG- https://www.instagram.com/zonlylooman?igsh=MTVkZWsxOGpzMnNkZA==Website- https://zonlylooman.com/Follow me:IG- https://www.instagram.com/zdsellsokc/FB- https://www.facebook.com/ZDsellsOKC/
The land we now call Scripps Oceanography has been home to the Kumeyaay people for thousands of years. A history of encroachment, colonization and displacement from coastal lands has challenged Kumeyaay ocean traditions and practices. Today, Kumeyaay-Iipay-Tipay people are actively revitalizing Indigenous ocean culture. As part of Perspectives on Ocean Science Lecture Series, Stan Rodriguez and Priscilla Ortiz Sawah of the Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel, and Andrew James Pittman of the Los Coyotes Band and Cupeño Indians, talk about the history of the Kumeyaay culture in the region. Through community efforts, they are rebuilding traditional ha kwaiyo (tule boats), harvesting ha shupill (grunion) and teaching language about the ocean (ha silowik). These intergenerational practices embody Indigenous resilience, resistance and revival — nurturing and evolving Indigenous ocean knowledge, culture and traditions. Series: "Jeffrey B. Graham Perspectives on Ocean Science Lecture Series" [Science] [Show ID: 40596]
The land we now call Scripps Oceanography has been home to the Kumeyaay people for thousands of years. A history of encroachment, colonization and displacement from coastal lands has challenged Kumeyaay ocean traditions and practices. Today, Kumeyaay-Iipay-Tipay people are actively revitalizing Indigenous ocean culture. As part of Perspectives on Ocean Science Lecture Series, Stan Rodriguez and Priscilla Ortiz Sawah of the Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel, and Andrew James Pittman of the Los Coyotes Band and Cupeño Indians, talk about the history of the Kumeyaay culture in the region. Through community efforts, they are rebuilding traditional ha kwaiyo (tule boats), harvesting ha shupill (grunion) and teaching language about the ocean (ha silowik). These intergenerational practices embody Indigenous resilience, resistance and revival — nurturing and evolving Indigenous ocean knowledge, culture and traditions. Series: "Jeffrey B. Graham Perspectives on Ocean Science Lecture Series" [Science] [Show ID: 40596]
The land we now call Scripps Oceanography has been home to the Kumeyaay people for thousands of years. A history of encroachment, colonization and displacement from coastal lands has challenged Kumeyaay ocean traditions and practices. Today, Kumeyaay-Iipay-Tipay people are actively revitalizing Indigenous ocean culture. As part of Perspectives on Ocean Science Lecture Series, Stan Rodriguez and Priscilla Ortiz Sawah of the Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel, and Andrew James Pittman of the Los Coyotes Band and Cupeño Indians, talk about the history of the Kumeyaay culture in the region. Through community efforts, they are rebuilding traditional ha kwaiyo (tule boats), harvesting ha shupill (grunion) and teaching language about the ocean (ha silowik). These intergenerational practices embody Indigenous resilience, resistance and revival — nurturing and evolving Indigenous ocean knowledge, culture and traditions. Series: "Jeffrey B. Graham Perspectives on Ocean Science Lecture Series" [Science] [Show ID: 40596]
The land we now call Scripps Oceanography has been home to the Kumeyaay people for thousands of years. A history of encroachment, colonization and displacement from coastal lands has challenged Kumeyaay ocean traditions and practices. Today, Kumeyaay-Iipay-Tipay people are actively revitalizing Indigenous ocean culture. As part of Perspectives on Ocean Science Lecture Series, Stan Rodriguez and Priscilla Ortiz Sawah of the Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel, and Andrew James Pittman of the Los Coyotes Band and Cupeño Indians, talk about the history of the Kumeyaay culture in the region. Through community efforts, they are rebuilding traditional ha kwaiyo (tule boats), harvesting ha shupill (grunion) and teaching language about the ocean (ha silowik). These intergenerational practices embody Indigenous resilience, resistance and revival — nurturing and evolving Indigenous ocean knowledge, culture and traditions. Series: "Jeffrey B. Graham Perspectives on Ocean Science Lecture Series" [Humanities] [Science] [Show ID: 40596]
The land we now call Scripps Oceanography has been home to the Kumeyaay people for thousands of years. A history of encroachment, colonization and displacement from coastal lands has challenged Kumeyaay ocean traditions and practices. Today, Kumeyaay-Iipay-Tipay people are actively revitalizing Indigenous ocean culture. As part of Perspectives on Ocean Science Lecture Series, Stan Rodriguez and Priscilla Ortiz Sawah of the Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel, and Andrew James Pittman of the Los Coyotes Band and Cupeño Indians, talk about the history of the Kumeyaay culture in the region. Through community efforts, they are rebuilding traditional ha kwaiyo (tule boats), harvesting ha shupill (grunion) and teaching language about the ocean (ha silowik). These intergenerational practices embody Indigenous resilience, resistance and revival — nurturing and evolving Indigenous ocean knowledge, culture and traditions. Series: "Jeffrey B. Graham Perspectives on Ocean Science Lecture Series" [Humanities] [Science] [Show ID: 40596]
The land we now call Scripps Oceanography has been home to the Kumeyaay people for thousands of years. A history of encroachment, colonization and displacement from coastal lands has challenged Kumeyaay ocean traditions and practices. Today, Kumeyaay-Iipay-Tipay people are actively revitalizing Indigenous ocean culture. As part of Perspectives on Ocean Science Lecture Series, Stan Rodriguez and Priscilla Ortiz Sawah of the Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel, and Andrew James Pittman of the Los Coyotes Band and Cupeño Indians, talk about the history of the Kumeyaay culture in the region. Through community efforts, they are rebuilding traditional ha kwaiyo (tule boats), harvesting ha shupill (grunion) and teaching language about the ocean (ha silowik). These intergenerational practices embody Indigenous resilience, resistance and revival — nurturing and evolving Indigenous ocean knowledge, culture and traditions. Series: "Jeffrey B. Graham Perspectives on Ocean Science Lecture Series" [Science] [Show ID: 40596]
Step into the world of the Kumeyaay Nation as multiple members from the different tribes discuss their ancient wisdom, survival skills, and cultural practices that have weathered the test of time. Learn how this Indigenous community has been living in harmony with the diverse geography of San Diego and Northern Baja California, Mexico, skillfully managing the land to prevent wildfires and survive droughts. This episode not only features an Emmy-nominated documentary from KPBS San Diego (2014) but also brings the Kumeyaay tradition to life through the storytelling of Dr. Stanley Rodriguez, offering a profound lesson on resilience and environmental stewardship. We have much to learn from the First Peoples of the Americas, and for that reason we share this documentary First People Kumeyaay, with Nick Nordquist, Director-Editor, and Michael R. Johnson and Bob Sly, Producers. Appearing in the show include: Frank J. Salazar III (Campo Kumeyaay) intro-outro poetry, Angela Elliott Santos (Manzanita Kumeyaay), Johnnie Eagle Spirit Elliott (Manzanita), Mark Becker PhD Archaeologist, Dr. Stanley Rodriguez (Santa Ysabel Kumeyaay), Brian Williams Archaeologist, Daniel Tucker (Sycuan Kumeyaay), Jamie LaBrake (Sycuan), Veronica Santos (Manzanita), Rayleen Elliott (Manzanita), Leroy Elliott (Manzanita), George Prietto (Sycuan), Norma Meza (Juntas de Neji Kumiai), Ana Gloria Rodriguez (San José de la Zorra Kumiai), Dr. Jerry Schaefer PhD Archaeologist, Dr. Susan Hector PhD Anthropologist, Silent Rain Espinoza (Viejas Kumeyaay), Angela Elliott Santos (Manzanita). For an extended interview and other benefits, become an EcoJustice Radio patron at https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio More Info: Explore San Diego: First People - Kumeyaay KPBS San Diego https://www.pbs.org/video/kpbs-presents-first-people/ Kumeyaay Songs and Stories, As Told by Stan Rodriguez- Kumeyaay Diegueno Land Conservancy: https://youtu.be/BkqoUIUN438?si=FESsUC66V_vXXe7v Kumeyaay Sacred Mountain: https://wilderutopia.com/traditions/kuuchamaa-the-exalted-high-place-of-the-kumeyaay/ Kumeyaay Traditions: https://wilderutopia.com/traditions/kumeyaay-people-traditions-survive-in-baja-california/ Dr. Stanley Rodriguez has been President of Kumeyaay Community College since 2018. He serves as a Council Member of the Santa Ysabel Band of the Iipay Nation. Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Dr. Rodriguez to the California Native American Heritage Commission in 2021. Dr. Rodriguez is the developer of the accelerated language immersion program, serving as a Kumeyaay Language Instructor at Kumeyaay Community College since 2005. Dr. Rodriguez served as an E-5 in the U.S. Navy from 1985 to 1991. He earned a Master of Arts degree in Human Behavior from National University and a Doctor of Education degree in Educational Leadership from the University of California, San Diego. Jack Eidt is an urban planner, environmental journalist, and climate organizer, as well as award-winning fiction writer. He is Co-Founder of SoCal 350 Climate Action and Executive Producer of EcoJustice Radio. He is also Founder and Publisher of WilderUtopia [https://wilderutopia.com], a website dedicated to the question of Earth sustainability, finding society-level solutions to environmental, community, economic, transportation and energy needs. Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ Support the Podcast: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url Executive Producer and Host: Jack Eidt Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Episode 215
Send us a textMikaela de la Myco centers ancestral healing, sacred earth medicine, and trauma-informed care, deeply rooted in her ancestral knowledge and practices. As the founder of mushWOMB, she creates education in the sacred earth medicine space, particularly for birthing people, queer folks, and BIPOC. In her community, Mikaela serves as a mother, educator, folk herbalist, organizer, and entheogen facilitator in occupied Kumeyaay & Luiseno territory, also known as San Diego, CA. She is a mixed-race Mexica/Aztec person, with heritage in the Caribbean by way of the African Diaspora, and she honors her ancestry from the rural mountains of Southern Italy. Mikaela is the caretaker of the Matriarchal Alliance for Accountability and Transparency (MA'AT), where she supports survivors and advocates for cooperative healing. Her expertise spans ancestral medicines (psychedelic herbalism and entheogenic medicines), polyamory and pleasure as liberation, full-spectrum herbal womb care (including pregnancy release), and trauma-informed advocacy.She helps administer certification courses, such as ECO Sensual and Herbal & Trauma-Informed Advocacy, and conducts citizen science research for Mothers of the Mushroom. Mikaela has collaborated as an educator and activist with numerous companies, organizations, families and individuals within the sacred earth medicine space and is well known as a maternal caretaker in her community. Above all, she is committed to being an instrument of change in the struggle to rematriate entheogens.dive deeper with accessible teachings or book an educational intake.Did you love this podcast episode!?Please share with someone who you think needs to here this and our DMs and email is always open to thoughts and opinions!
Send us a textDem Bois Inc. is an organization dedicated to amplifying trans men of color voices, and today on Dem Bois Podcast, we are continuing our Board Member Highlight Series with Tiana Moon, our board secretary. Tiana shares their background, including their mixed-race heritage, queer identity, and extensive experience in training and community education. And, they emphasize the importance of financial support for gender-affirming procedures, recounting their own experience with top surgery in Tijuana. We talk:Tiana's career and personal life - 1:21Dem Bois Inc mission - 5:17Their hopes for the future of Dem Bois - 8:10Read more about Tiana in their bio below:Tiana grew up in Kumeyaay territory, living on both sides of the U.S/Mexico border in San Diego, CA and Tijuana, MX. They are a mixed race Chicano of Indigenous and Jewish ancestry. They are also queer, polyamorous, trans, nonbinary, and disabled. All experiences that shape their sense of community and commitment to care work.They are a Co-Director at Brown Boi Project, an organization dedicated to Gender Justice and leadership development with a focus on how Black, Indigenous, and other people of color experience masculinity. They are also a facilitator and logistics nerd. In addition to formal training and curriculum design, their facilitation includes holding other dynamic spaces like support groups, retreats and gatherings, repair processes, community building events and action planning. Most recently they presented at the Caring Futures conference at The American University of Paris to present on mutual aid, building community care projects and decreasing reliance on violent state systems.Furthermore, they have a decade of experience providing trauma informed direct services and mentorship to LGBTQ2S+ youth and families experiencing homelessness, incarceration, and co-occurring psychiatric disability and substance use dependence. Both in professional capacities represented by organizations and informally through community relationships and activist care spaces.They are excited to bring these experiences to their role and honored to support the work of Dem Bois through service as a board member!tiana@dembois.org Dem Bois seeks a trans leader of color, or other queer folks of color, along with allies who understand the importance of accessing medical transition-related care, and other trans related issues to join our Board.We are looking for someone who would like to become our Vice-Chair to work alongside the other dynamic leaders of the board to help support the mission and vision of the organization.What does board membership mean? What does a Vice-Chair of a non-profit board actually do? Are you interested in being a part of Dem Bois board, but would like to learn more before applying? Schedule a 15-minute meeting to learn more about board service. Learn how you can use your skills and talents to support the mission and vision of Dem Bois Inc.Link to application to join Dem Bois Board - Join Dem Bois Board of DirectorsAre you enjoying the Dem Bois Podcast? Donate today to help support the cost of production and the honorarium we pay our guests for their time. All donations are tax-deductible. Click here! Donate to support our 2023 Gender Affirming Surgery Grant Fund here!
Local Indigenous leaders are working to increase representation and cultural awareness. That also means making higher education more inclusive. We hear from San Diego State University's tribal liaison. In other news, the California Center for the Arts is a North County hub for culture, art and community. A foundation has managed it for 30 years, but a budget deficit for Escondido could mean a change. Plus, Seaworld San Diego doubled as a giant classroom yesterday for STEM: science, technology, engineering and math.
The Poetry Vlog (TPV): A Poetry, Arts, & Social Justice Teaching Channel
In this episode of The Poetry Vlog (TPV), poet and screenwriter Tommy "Teebs" Pico reads from his book JUNK (Tin House, 2018) to lead a discussion on the work in poetry and screenwriting to "tether" disparate ideas and create meaning. This episode will be re-edited and adapted with a Critical Framing and sample lesson plans in The Poetry Vlog: Critical Edition. Forthcoming from University of Michigan Press, Fulcrum. Tommy “Teebs” Pico is a poet, artist, and tv writer. He is author of the books IRL, Nature Poem, Junk, Feed, and has written on the shows Reservation Dogs, Resident Alien and Crystal Lake. Originally from the Viejas Indian reservation of the Kumeyaay nation, he now lives in Los Angeles where he makes abstract portraits with various kinds of wax, acrylics, watercolors, food coloring and India ink. Learn more at https://tommy-pico.com/. View the Video Version (includes transcript): https://youtu.be/THSAGlrXzic/. Learn more about the series: https://www.thepoetryvlog.com/thepoetryvlog/
Welcome back, friends! We've missed you. In this first episode of season 2, host Grant Oliphant and Micah Parzen, CEO of the Museum of Us, delve into efforts to preserve historic border wall murals in partnership with Friends of Friendship Park. Amidst the introspection triggered by George Floyd's murder, they discuss the Museum's transformative journey toward greater inclusion in the museum. This includes rebranding the museum and forging a meaningful partnership with the Kumeyaay Nation, all aimed at honoring the diverse histories of the San Diego region. Micah sheds light on Balboa Park's complex past, revealing a community-driven effort to recount its true history. Plus, we're excited to introduce our new co-host, Crystal Page, who brings fresh insights to our discussions about the interview, meaning Grant won't have to converse with himself anymore. About Micah Parzen:Micah Parzen is a nonprofit leader, attorney, and anthropologist, who is always searching for ways of partnering with others to create transformative organizational change. He has served as CEO of the Museum of Us (formerly the San Diego Museum of Man) since 2010, where he and his team are focused on developing better and better practices in what an anti-racist and decolonial museum can look like, along with how those practices can create a positive ripple effect in the museum field and beyond.Micah currently serves as the President of the Board of the Balboa Park Cultural Partnership, a collaboration of 28 arts & culture institutions in Balboa Park, which sits on the unceded ancestral homeland of the Kumeyaay Nation.Show Credits:This is a production of the Prebys Foundation.Hosted by Grant OliphantCo-Hosted by Crystal PageCo-produced by Crystal Page and Adam GreenfieldEngineered by Adam GreenfieldProduction Assistance by Tess Karesky The Stop & Talk Theme song created by San Diego's own Mr. Lyrical GrooveRecorded at the Voice of San Diego Podcast StudioDownload episodes at your favorite podcatcher or visit us at StopAndTalkPodcast.orgIf you like this show, and we hope you do, the best way to support this show is to share, subscribe, and review our podcast. Thank you for your support, ideas, and listening.
In today's flashback, an outtake from Episode 559, my conversation with poet, artist, and television writer Tommy Pico. The episode first aired on January 9, 2019. Pico is a poet, artist, and tv writer. He is author of the books IRL, Nature Poem, Junk, and Feed, and he has written on the television shows Reservation Dogs, Resident Alien and Crystal Lake. Originally from the Viejas Indian reservation of the Kumeyaay nation, he now lives in Los Angeles where he makes abstract portraits with various kinds of wax, acrylics, watercolors, food coloring and India ink. *** Otherppl with Brad Listi is a weekly literary podcast featuring in-depth interviews with today's leading writers. Available where podcasts are available: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, etc. Subscribe to Brad Listi's email newsletter. Support the show on Patreon Merch @otherppl Instagram TikTok Email the show: letters [at] otherppl [dot] com The podcast is a proud affiliate partner of Bookshop, working to support local, independent bookstores. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Step into the world of the Kumeyaay Nation as we delve into their ancient wisdom, survival skills, and cultural practices that have weathered the test of time. Learn how this Indigenous community has been living in harmony with the diverse geography of San Diego and Northern Baja California, Mexico, skillfully managing the land to prevent wildfires and survive droughts. This episode not only features an Emmy-nominated documentary from KPBS San Diego (2014) but also brings the Kumeyaay tradition to life through the storytelling of Dr. Stanley Rodriguez, offering a profound lesson on resilience and environmental stewardship. We have much to learn from the First Peoples of the Americas, and for that reason we share this documentary First People Kumeyaay, with Nick Nordquist, Director-Editor, and Michael R. Johnson and Bob Sly, Producers. Appearing in the show include: Frank J. Salazar III (Campo Kumeyaay) intro-outro poetry, Angela Elliott Santos (Manzanita Kumeyaay), Johnnie Eagle Spirit Elliott (Manzanita), Mark Becker PhD Archaeologist, Dr. Stanley Rodriguez (Santa Ysabel Kumeyaay), Brian Williams Archaeologist, Daniel Tucker (Sycuan Kumeyaay), Jamie LaBrake (Sycuan), Veronica Santos (Manzanita), Rayleen Elliott (Manzanita), Leroy Elliott (Manzanita), George Prietto (Sycuan), Norma Meza (Juntas de Neji Kumiai), Ana Gloria Rodriguez (San José de la Zorra Kumiai), Dr. Jerry Schaefer PhD Archaeologist, Dr. Susan Hector PhD Anthropologist, Silent Rain Espinoza (Viejas Kumeyaay), Angela Elliott Santos (Manzanita). For an extended interview and other benefits, become an EcoJustice Radio patron at https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio More Info: Explore San Diego: First People - Kumeyaay KPBS San Diego https://www.pbs.org/video/kpbs-presents-first-people/ Kumeyaay Songs and Stories, As Told by Stan Rodriguez- Kumeyaay Diegueno Land Conservancy: https://youtu.be/BkqoUIUN438?si=FESsUC66V_vXXe7v Kumeyaay Sacred Mountain: https://wilderutopia.com/traditions/kuuchamaa-the-exalted-high-place-of-the-kumeyaay/ Kumeyaay Traditions: https://wilderutopia.com/traditions/kumeyaay-people-traditions-survive-in-baja-california/ Dr. Stanley Rodriguez has been President of Kumeyaay Community College since 2018. He serves as a Council Member of the Santa Ysabel Band of the Iipay Nation. Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Dr. Rodriguez to the California Native American Heritage Commission in 2021. Dr. Rodriguez is the developer of the accelerated language immersion program, serving as a Kumeyaay Language Instructor at Kumeyaay Community College since 2005. Dr. Rodriguez served as an E-5 in the U.S. Navy from 1985 to 1991. He earned a Master of Arts degree in Human Behavior from National University and a Doctor of Education degree in Educational Leadership from the University of California, San Diego. Jack Eidt is an urban planner, environmental journalist, and climate organizer, as well as award-winning fiction writer. He is Co-Founder of SoCal 350 Climate Action and Executive Producer of EcoJustice Radio. He is also Founder and Publisher of WilderUtopia [https://wilderutopia.com], a website dedicated to the question of Earth sustainability, finding society-level solutions to environmental, community, economic, transportation and energy needs. Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ Support the Podcast: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url Executive Producer and Host: Jack Eidt Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Episode 215 Photo credit: Mural by Sergio Toledo and Erendira Cisneros, Tecate, BC, Mexico, Photo by Jack Eidt
The Palestinian Youth Movement continues to organize protests demanding a ceasefire in Gaza. Plus, we hear how two young women are reclaiming Kumeyaay traditions and passing it onto the next generation.
Mikaela de la Myco has been a leading voice in this space connecting plant medicine for fertility, motherhood, + womb health. For new moms + moms-to-be who are curious about entheogens… This episode will be for you. We dive into how plant medicine can support women during their pregnancy journey, and the key considerations to be mindful of along the journey. As a reminder, this is for informational purposes only. Please consult your healthcare provider before pursuing any of the products discussed. I do not believe psychedelics are for everyone, please do the preparation + work necessary to care for yourself. In this episode, you'll hear: Microdosing Moms - How Entheogens Support Women Throughout Pregnancy Consequences of the Birth Extraction Process in Western Practices Entheogens Role within Postpartum and Mothers Systemic Trauma and the Business of Birth: A Closer Look at Perpetuating Factors Plant Medicine's Supportive Role in Pregnancy + Considerations for the Journey The Mother's Role and Family Dynamics in the Psychedelic Space Breastfeeding and Entheogens: Safety Considerations and Detection in Breast Milk Clarifying Psilocybin Toxicity + Reproductive Risks Ancestral Wisdom in MesoAmerican Traditions: Indigenous Rituals and Their Modern Relevance Mushrooms for Hormone Balancing: Entheogens in Pregnancy Considerations Mikaela's Personal Journey of a Mushroom Experience During the Third Trimester Guidance on Responsible Psychedelic Exploration: Finding Trustworthy Guides and Leaders in the Field And MORE! THE SKINNY ON OUR SEXY GUESTS Mikaela de la Myco comes from a blended ancestry. Her peoples come from the hills of southern italy, the caribbean and the deserts and mountains of mexico. In her everyday life, she is a mother, an entheogen educator, a womb care practitioner and acts as a community ceremony facilitator in occupied Kumeyaay & Luiseno territory, also known as San Diego, CA. She passionately serves all people in ancestral healing ways with special focus in serving creatives, families, bleeding people, folks within the birthing continuum and people navigating conscious contraception. Mikaela organizes quarterly ceremonies so people can journey through the dark amenta to uncover ancestral messages, rewrite trauma wounds and make meaning with mushroom and other earth medicines. Her platform, Mama de la Myco is a creative space at the intersection of medicine woman, psychedelic mother and sacred hoe. Mikaela de la Myco has made the commitment to rematriate entheogens, do ma'at always and prove to the world that psychedelics are for families. Her Survey for Mamas: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdWK0FCuu0GfIrGYzWJkUzZHAhTVQDb_yn25qTiyBW73vC0Vw/viewform MORE LINKS Sensual Awakening: https://learn.sexloveyoga.com/sensual-awakening --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sexlovepsychedelics/message
A proposed ballot initiative could make it easier to prosecute overdose deaths as homicides. In other news, San Diego County will not be implementing a new law next month that expands who can be involuntarily treated for substance abuse disorders. Plus, we learn about Kumeyaay culture and how it's being preserved.
Kumeyaay Community College is one of three tribal colleges in California. Teaching Kumeyaay history and language is priority for the college. Plus, we follow up on San Diego State's efforts to serve Native students on campus.
An obelisk called The Soldiers' Monument in downtown Santa Fe was erected after the Civil War to honor soldiers from Northern New Mexico who died fighting the Confederacy. But the monument also honors Union soldiers who fought “savage Indians,” – their scorched earth methods resulted in the systematic rape, enslavement, and forced relocation of thousands of Navajo and Apache people. For decades, Indigenous activists had called for the obelisk to come down. In 2020 protestors tore it down, leaving only the monument's base. The backlash to its removal stoked resentment and misinformation from some Hispanic residents who blamed “wokeness” and liberal outsiders for erasing their heritage. Conflicts over the obelisk appear to be a culmination of longstanding tensions between the city's Hispanic and Indigenous communities. But we uncover their roots in Santa Fe's 400-year-old identity crisis - an identity built on colonialism, slavery, and mythology. Producer Ben Montoya looks at the city's choice now: to rebuild the past or pave a new future. For more resources related to this episode, visit the episode page on www.prx.org/monumental Additional audio was recorded with help from Ryan Thompson and Georgina Hahn. This episode was produced on the ancestral lands of the Tewa and Kumeyaay people. Special thanks to Dani Prokop, Arte Romero y Carver, Luis Peña, Gerard Martinez y Valencia, Rob Martinez, Autumn Gomez, Christina Castro, DezBaa, David Henderson, Alicia Guzman, Valerie Rangel, Estevan Rael-Galvez, Alma Castro, and Tod Seelie.
An 800-foot-long stone path of words, KAHNOP • TO TELL A STORY is the 22nd public artwork commissioned by the Stuart Collection at UC San Diego. The text for the UC San Diego walkway draws from the writing of authors and scholars with ties to the University and its history. Organized by a spine of keywords composed by Ann Hamilton, this concordance of documents weaves together threads of thinking from many different disciplines. The piece was built line by line, rather than as a singular continuous narrative, and yet clear themes emerge and recur throughout the 1,300-line composition. A feminist narrative transcribed by two Kumeyaay scholars exists in bands situated at a regular interval throughout the entire length of the piece, creating its own cadence and rhythm within the larger whole. These juxtapositions form a field of text and an infinite number of paths to be composed and recomposed every time someone walks its surface. Series: "Stuart Collection at UC San Diego" [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 39374]
An 800-foot-long stone path of words, KAHNOP • TO TELL A STORY is the 22nd public artwork commissioned by the Stuart Collection at UC San Diego. The text for the UC San Diego walkway draws from the writing of authors and scholars with ties to the University and its history. Organized by a spine of keywords composed by Ann Hamilton, this concordance of documents weaves together threads of thinking from many different disciplines. The piece was built line by line, rather than as a singular continuous narrative, and yet clear themes emerge and recur throughout the 1,300-line composition. A feminist narrative transcribed by two Kumeyaay scholars exists in bands situated at a regular interval throughout the entire length of the piece, creating its own cadence and rhythm within the larger whole. These juxtapositions form a field of text and an infinite number of paths to be composed and recomposed every time someone walks its surface. Series: "Stuart Collection at UC San Diego" [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 39374]
An 800-foot-long stone path of words, KAHNOP • TO TELL A STORY is the 22nd public artwork commissioned by the Stuart Collection at UC San Diego. The text for the UC San Diego walkway draws from the writing of authors and scholars with ties to the University and its history. Organized by a spine of keywords composed by Ann Hamilton, this concordance of documents weaves together threads of thinking from many different disciplines. The piece was built line by line, rather than as a singular continuous narrative, and yet clear themes emerge and recur throughout the 1,300-line composition. A feminist narrative transcribed by two Kumeyaay scholars exists in bands situated at a regular interval throughout the entire length of the piece, creating its own cadence and rhythm within the larger whole. These juxtapositions form a field of text and an infinite number of paths to be composed and recomposed every time someone walks its surface. Series: "Stuart Collection at UC San Diego" [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 39374]
An 800-foot-long stone path of words, KAHNOP • TO TELL A STORY is the 22nd public artwork commissioned by the Stuart Collection at UC San Diego. The text for the UC San Diego walkway draws from the writing of authors and scholars with ties to the University and its history. Organized by a spine of keywords composed by Ann Hamilton, this concordance of documents weaves together threads of thinking from many different disciplines. The piece was built line by line, rather than as a singular continuous narrative, and yet clear themes emerge and recur throughout the 1,300-line composition. A feminist narrative transcribed by two Kumeyaay scholars exists in bands situated at a regular interval throughout the entire length of the piece, creating its own cadence and rhythm within the larger whole. These juxtapositions form a field of text and an infinite number of paths to be composed and recomposed every time someone walks its surface. Series: "Stuart Collection at UC San Diego" [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 38928]
An 800-foot-long stone path of words, KAHNOP • TO TELL A STORY is the 22nd public artwork commissioned by the Stuart Collection at UC San Diego. The text for the UC San Diego walkway draws from the writing of authors and scholars with ties to the University and its history. Organized by a spine of keywords composed by Ann Hamilton, this concordance of documents weaves together threads of thinking from many different disciplines. The piece was built line by line, rather than as a singular continuous narrative, and yet clear themes emerge and recur throughout the 1,300-line composition. A feminist narrative transcribed by two Kumeyaay scholars exists in bands situated at a regular interval throughout the entire length of the piece, creating its own cadence and rhythm within the larger whole. These juxtapositions form a field of text and an infinite number of paths to be composed and recomposed every time someone walks its surface. Series: "Stuart Collection at UC San Diego" [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 38928]
An 800-foot-long stone path of words, KAHNOP • TO TELL A STORY is the 22nd public artwork commissioned by the Stuart Collection at UC San Diego. The text for the UC San Diego walkway draws from the writing of authors and scholars with ties to the University and its history. Organized by a spine of keywords composed by Ann Hamilton, this concordance of documents weaves together threads of thinking from many different disciplines. The piece was built line by line, rather than as a singular continuous narrative, and yet clear themes emerge and recur throughout the 1,300-line composition. A feminist narrative transcribed by two Kumeyaay scholars exists in bands situated at a regular interval throughout the entire length of the piece, creating its own cadence and rhythm within the larger whole. These juxtapositions form a field of text and an infinite number of paths to be composed and recomposed every time someone walks its surface. Series: "Stuart Collection at UC San Diego" [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 38928]
Both guests for today's program chronicle the historical legacies of Indigenous/Latine' struggles and experiences in the Kumeyaay traditional territories now known as San Diego, CA. Both guests discuss theater, Spanish settler colonialism, the Indigeneity, the dismantling and resistance of Chicano masculinity, the interrelations between the urban population and Indigenous peoples, the importance of culturally based theater and arts, free speech, freedom of artistic expression and more. Lastly, our guests discuss the acknowledgement and celebration at the Teatro at Centro: 52 Years located 2004 Park Blvd., San Diego, CA 92101. The celebration is being held on 10/20/2023 and includes panelists, guest speakers, storytelling, lived experiences and more. Guest: • Felacitas Nunez, Salton Sea Coalition • Kathy Requejo, Community Activist • Teatro at Centro . Archived programs can be heard on Soundcloud at: https://soundcloud.com/burntswamp American Indian Airwaves streams on over ten podcasting platforms such as Amazon Music, Apple Podcast, Audible, Backtracks.fm, Gaana, Google Podcast, Fyyd, iHeart Media, Player.fm, Podbay.fm, Podcast Republic, SoundCloud, Spotify, Tunein, YouTube, and more.
Part 1 of 2 Imagine an afterlife where your people sing beautiful “bird songs” to you, as you venture into the next world to comfort you along your journey. And imagine over the decades, these beautiful bird songs – the songs of the Kumeyaay people – slowly drifting away, at risk to be forgotten over time. My guest, Chris Alvarado, San Pasqual iPai Kumeyaay Nation and Founder, and President of The Yumans, spent many years searching for old recordings of elders singing these ancient songs. And by nothing short of a miracle, he finally discovered these precious recordings. And you won't believe how he found them! Chris was compelled to share, rather than withhold these sacred songs. And now he's here to sing these pieces for us today, and he has also provided a complimentary curriculum so that you too can hear and learn about them! In this episode, you'll also learn about: • Kumeyaay culture, ancient games like peon, dances and the origination of the bird songs • Learn about the patterns of the bird songs and the instruments used • The reservation where Chris grew up • The history of the Yumans and how they won California for America by fighting Mexico I highly recommend watching this episode on YouTube since Chris shares visuals throughout the conversation. Check out Chris' Yumans website, and enjoy learning about the Bird Songs, Kumeyaay language, training, quizzes at NO CHARGE! https://theyumans.com/ Learn more about the San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians: https://www.sanpasqualbandofmissionindians.org/ Enjoy! Native ChocTalk Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/nativechoctalkpodcast All Podcast Episodes: https://nativechoctalk.com/podcasts/
Part 2 of 2 Imagine an afterlife where your people sing beautiful “bird songs” to you, as you venture into the next world to comfort you along your journey. And imagine over the decades, these beautiful bird songs – the songs of the Kumeyaay people – slowly drifting away, at risk to be forgotten over time. My guest, Chris Alvarado, San Pasqual iPai Kumeyaay Nation and Founder, and President of The Yumans, spent many years searching for old recordings of elders singing these ancient songs. And by nothing short of a miracle, he finally discovered these precious recordings. And you won't believe how he found them! Chris was compelled to share, rather than withhold these sacred songs. And now he's here to sing these pieces for us today, and he has also provided a complimentary curriculum so that you too can hear and learn about them! In this episode, you'll also learn about: • Kumeyaay culture, ancient games like peon, dances and the origination of the bird songs • Learn about the patterns of the bird songs and the instruments used • The reservation where Chris grew up • The history of the Yumans and how they won California for America by fighting Mexico I highly recommend watching this episode on YouTube since Chris shares visuals throughout the conversation. Check out Chris' Yumans website, and enjoy learning about the Bird Songs, Kumeyaay language, training, quizzes at NO CHARGE! https://theyumans.com/ Learn more about the San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians: https://www.sanpasqualbandofmissionindians.org/ Enjoy! Native ChocTalk Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/nativechoctalkpodcast All Podcast Episodes: https://nativechoctalk.com/podcasts/
In this episode, Mikaela de la Myco shares about the dark side of the psychedelic community as well as her mission to rematriate entheogens. In this conversation we discuss sexual assault within psychedelic spaces & so we want to add a content warning to this episode.Mikaela was instrumental in helping me co-create MushWomb Alchemy - my 8-week transformational program for people who want to awaken more pleasure, connect with their womb & build a relationship with sacred mushrooms. JOIN THE FREE MASTERCLASS 9/18 HEREBOOK A FREE 1-ON-1 CALL HERE.JOIN MUSHWOMB ALCHEMY HERE.LINKS:TAPPED OUT COALITIONMIKAELA'S WORKMAMA PSYCHEDELIA PODCASTHYPHAE LEAKS PODCASTMore about Mikaela:Mikaela de la Myco comes from a blended ancestry. Her peoples come from the hills of southern italy, the caribbean and the deserts and mountains of Mexico. She is a mother, an entheogen educator, a womb care practitioner and acts as a community ceremony facilitator in occupied Kumeyaay territory also known as San Diego, CA.Mikaela serves all people with ancestral healing ways and specializes in serving creatives, families, bleeding people, folks within the birthing continuum and people navigating natural birth control and pregnancy release. She holds seasonal ceremonies where people can journey through the dark amenta to uncover ancestral messages, rewrite trauma wounds and make meaning with mushroom and other earth medicines.Her platform, Mama de la Myco centers the rematriation of entheogens and she creates at the intersection of medicine woman, psychedelic mother and sacred hoe. Mikaela de la Myco has made the commitment to be an instrument of change. Connect with Leslie on Instagram:@lesliedraffin@thelightwithinpodcastEmail: hello@lesliedraffin.comInterested in starting your own microdosing practice, but unclear where to begin? My new free guide can help. CLICK HERE to download Activate your Inner Magic: a Beginner's Guide to Intentional Microdosing. Includes: eBook & guided meditation. Having period problems? Grab my self-paced course Cycle Codes now, it's perfect for anyone looking for help starting their cyclical living journey. Learn how to have a better period by Spring! You can find out more HERE.LINK TO MY FREE CYCLE TRACKERLINK TO THE SUPPLEMENTS I USE(USE MY PRC CODE 676502 FOR A DISCOUNT!)
As momentum continues to grow around the Land Back movement and Indigenous stewardship worldwide, the value of hearing from Elders who have long studied Indigenous traditions and lifeways, whether adopted or of their heritage, is a growing imperative. Their lived wisdom is essential, a gift and treasure for future generations, and continues the cycle of dynamic, intergenerational learning in the traditional way — the way of direct, felt experience and deep listening. This is an encore presentation of our 2022 conversation with Payoomkawish (Juaneño/Luiseño) Elder Richard Bugbee [https://www.indigenousregeneration.org/]. Hear him share insights from his decades of studying the way of plants. He emphasized the importance of reclaiming our ways of seeing, being and understanding the world by reclaiming Native languages and observing the world more closely. Enjoy provocative insights from an elder who has devoted his lifetime to the study of plants and their uses, re-learning of language, and the practice of material culture. For an extended version of this interview and other benefits, become an EcoJustice Radio patron at https://www.patreon.com/posts/ethnobotany-fire-68593058 Richard Bugbee is Payoomkawish (also known as Payómkawichum Juaneño/Luiseño) from northern San Diego County. Richard has ties with multiple Indigenous nations including the Kumeyaay. He is an Instructor of Kumeyaay Ethnobotany and Ethnoecology at Cuyamaca College through Kumeyaay Community College [http://kumeyaaycommunitycollege.com/]. He is the Chair of the Board of Directors for the Advocates for Indigenous California Language Survival (AICLS) [https://aicls.org/]. Richard is on the boards of Indigenous Regeneration (Mata'Yuum), Climate Science Alliance, and Inter-Tribal Fire Stewardship. Richard was the Curator of the Kumeyaay Culture Exhibit at the Southern Indian Health Council, the Associate Director/Curator of the San Diego American Indian Culture Center & Museum, and the Indigenous Education Specialist for the San Diego Museum of Man. He was a member of the Native American Council for California State Parks, California Indian Basketweavers Association ((CIBA), the Land ConVersation, and the Elders' Circle for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Richard has been learning traditional plant uses of southern California and the Kumeyaay language from Jane Dumas, a Kumeyaay Elder from Jamul Indian Village from 1980 to 2014. He was the ethnobotanist for the Traditional Indian Health Program through Riverside-San Bernardino Indian Health providing information on the interactions between traditional plant and pharmaceutical medicines. He teaches indigenous material cultures and traditional plant uses of southern California at many museums, botanical gardens, and reservations, and is an instructor for summer cultural programs for several Kumeyaay tribes. His goal is to use knowledge to serve as a bridge that connects the wisdom of the Elders with today's youth. Listen to our related show on Indigenous Regeneration from 2022: https://wilderutopia.com/ecojustice-radio/indigenous-regeneration-remembering-the-past-to-inspire-the-future/ Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://wilderutopia.com/ecojustice-radio/ethnobotany-cultural-fire-and-indigenous-stewardship-with-payoomkawish-elder-richard-bugbee/ Support the Podcast: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url Hosted by Carry Kim Intro by Jessica Aldridge Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Executive Producer: Jack Eidt Episode 140
What would you do if you if all the lamps in your office started making strange noises, late at night, and then you felt "a presence" and then felt something pressing against your temple? Well, I decided to ask this spirit person some questions which led to an amazing mystical experience filled with facts I could validate. Today I am sharing the story of a very recent communications and experiences with my new “ghost” friend, the soul of a woman in the spirit world who's been visiting me at home.Show Notes: https://www.kumeyaay.comhttps://viejasbandofkumeyaay.org/viejas-community/kumeyaay-history/http://www.kumeyaay.info/kumeyaay_maps/ | PRE-CONTACT KUMEYAAY NATION, 1769, it is estimated the California Indigenous population was over 150,000 strong — up until which time the Kumeyaay were living off the land in harmony with nature, developing their unique culture over THOUSANDS of years, including their Yuman languages and vast knowledge of the land, indigenous plants and medicinal herbs.The arrival of the Spanish in San Diego 1769 • The Spanish expansion into Kumeyaay Indigenous tribal territory 1798https://www.csusb.edu/sites/default/files/6.Unit3_.2TeacherBackground.pdf (CSU San Bernardino)The location of the Kumeyaay Indian villages varied from the ocean, to the high mountains, to the desert and to the Colorado River. There are three subdivisions of the Kumeyaay – the Tipai, Ipai, and Kamia. The Tipai lived south of the San Diego River into Baja south of Ensendada and eastward to the Laguna Mountains and beyond Mount Tecate. The Ipai lived in territory extending from the San Diego River (approximately State Highway 78), and eastward through Escondido to Lake Henshaw. The Kamia lived in Imperial County and over the mountains east of San Diego County. The Kumeyaay reached the San Diego area from the Colorado River more than 2,000 years ago.https://www.jstor.org/stable/27825128Kumeyaay Socio-Political StructurelBy FLORENCE C. SHIPEKsources. Beginning in 1955, repeated ethnographic interviews withnumerous Kumeyaay elders were conducted.At that time, at least five were 95 years of ageor older; one was at least 115; another tenwere above 80. and about 15 were above 70.Approximately another 20 were in theirsixties during the late 1950s and early 1960s.The “Channeled History” Podcast I mentioned was “The Alchemist's Inkell”, episode title “Of History and Channeling”. Here's the episode link! https://open.spotify.com/episode/7FDJyIY7R2KmsBPi8fMeHN?si=c34f79090d254eb3I want o hear from YOU! Share your story of a sign or communication you received from a loved one on the other side and YOU might even be featured in an upcoming episode of Spirit Speakeasy. Call now: 305-928-LOVE that's 305-928-5683Get Joy's Free "Sign Magnet" 3 Day Mini Course HERE https://www.joyfulmedium.com/sign-magnetJoy's Website: www.joyfulmedium.comInstagram: @JoyfulMediumTikTok: @JoyfulMediumFacebook: @JoyfulMediumFacebook Group: Joy's Soul SpaYouTube: Psychic Medium Joy Giovanni
Transcript for 04/05/2023 Bay Native Circle 0000:00:00 Show Theme 00:01:00 Morning Star Gali Chimi Sunwi. Good evening and welcome to Bay Native circle here on KPFA, 94.1, KFCF 88.1 in Fresno and online at kpfa.org. This is Morning Star Gali. Your host for this evening. Tonight's show is dedicated to all of you celebrating spring blessings and renewal. And enjoying this full moon evening tonight's main native circle profiles some of our community warriors, Anthony Guzman of the Native American Health Center. In Oakland is the Chief Cultural Officer. Besides his community work, he is a father and a husband and considers that his most important role in life. We will hear an interview with James Jackson, a Vietnam veteran who interviews Bruce Gali, a Wounded Knee veteran, and Standing Rock Veteran. All of our veterans are honored and respected within our communities, we will also hear from our very own Bay Native circles, Rass K Dee, a musician, and former producer for BNC. Rass is a cultural and music warrior, blending and incorporating culture into a modern medium. 01:59 James Jackson Hello, my name is Jimmy Jackson. I live in Tuba City Arizona on the Navajo reservation…I am Kinlichini…born for salt and my maternal grandparents are Towering House and my paternal grandparents are Bitterwater and… I recently went to visit the traveling wall of Vietnam Memorial and it was in Fort Verde, Arizona, and it was an odd experience to be amongst the Yavapai Apache people… who were forced March to San Carlos in the early, early, early times of Arizona. I went to see other veterans as well at the memorial. So that's why I went there. Bruce Gali is an Elder from Northern California, he is from the Achomawi band of the Pit River Indian Nation… And he recently traveled to Wounded Knee, South Dakota for the 50th year Memorial of the Occupation there, as well as he is a veteran of Standing Rock, North Dakota Occupation 2016 excuse me… he endured quite a bit of hardship there, Bruce? 00:03:35 Bruce Gali Thank you, Jimmy you know, for the introduction, yes. So, the question was…How did I end up in Wounded Knee?…well you know, back in the late sixties there, you know Alcatraz was going on Also there was some land struggles in Kashia Indian reservation…also Northern California, then they had fishing rights…in Yurok country…but through all these gatherings, especially Alcatraz, there was a number of tribal peoples, tribal nations coming from around the country to do that occupation on Alcatraz and later on they had went to Pit River because we were having a land struggle with PG&E and also the United States forest service on our four corners You know land struggles so when Wounded Knee started, the tribe had asked, or the tribal council had asked if there were volunteers to like to go over there because of the Sioux tribe had participated in Pit River at that time…so they had asked for volunteers asked for the tribal council had had asked for volunteers, give me a second here… We had to ask for volunteers, and they asked that I go over there and not to fight the United States government but to go over there and protect the women, children, and elders. Just like the people from Alcatraz from other nations had done so…in order to return that favor. I volunteered to go back there that time our spiritual person in Pit River country was Charlie Buckskin, chief and Raymond Lego, and a couple of the other council people Talbert Wilson, Doc Jenkins , and they had ceremony for me and they asked that I go back there and that I would be protected and that ..you know not to fight the United States government but to protect the women, children and elders, back there and that I would be able to go back there and defend the people and be able to come back and give my report of what was going on at that time back there. So, when I had gone back there, started out in Pit River and went to UC Davis, we had to a safe house there, and probably 40 people in a room and I had walked in there and asked if I could participate in going back there if they had room …like that And so, at that time, there were 3 cars going back there and I had secured one of the seats in the vehicle and there were 21 of us that had gathered in UC Davis at that time and we all jumped in the cars and left that evening. Now that was probably the first night that it was the 27th…so probably the 28th when I arrived down there. 21 of us in three cars were packed in there like a bunch of sardines. But we were being followed, I think, through Reno, Nevada, and Colorado and then after that we ended up in Rapid City. We had gone over there, and we went to one of the Indian Centers or Indian community down in there. People started asking or saying they heard about that. There was a group coming in from California a lot of names were mentioned so we did feel that it was safe at that time Because we wanted to go into Wounded Knee, so we left there and Other people from the community had to stay in Rapid City overnight and then the next day we had went to Porcupine …we went through Porcupine, there were 21 of us going through that there at that time. So, we walked through the Wounded Knee, we got there probably …we left about 8 o'clock at night, we walked in when the sun was coming out, and they had a bunker over there …California…little California bunker. So other people were there from California, so a lot of people didn't know the story remains that there was about 36 of us altogether…there were all different tribes within turtle island. But a lot of them came out from California…so you know it was kind of there were California tribal people, but there was 36 of us all together, and I remember that one evening when we were there, one of the folks that is no longer with us now, ..Charlie Steele had asked that he wanted everybody to introduce themselves, their name and what their purpose was for being there…went around in a circle…you know all 36 of us and there right after that the next day they had flesh offerings, and I went over there to see Wallace Black Elk and didn't realize at that time how strong spiritually the prayer was, and I had taken flesh offerings from Wallace Black Elk. That second evening and he had told me the same exact word that my tribal council from Pit River that those bullets would go right through me, and I was there to protect the women children and elders and not to fight the United States government and I would be able to survive this day and bring back the message from their country back to Wounded Knee and here now today, I really understand and know that power of prayer. And the thing is going back to Wounded Knee on its 50th year anniversary, I had talked to some other people and if you really look at it when I moved back I was 23 years old, and at that time it was 1973, and I looked at it now and at this 50th anniversary and here now I'm just turning 73 years old, you know, and still surviving. So that's what I'm trying to acknowledge to the people out there is how strong that prayer is. You know the Creator already knew my path in life…like I said…time tells everything…and like I honor that and I like to say that now, I like to acknowledge the women that were there inside Wounded Knee, inside the bunkers, either cooking or on security or bringing in supplies and even the women that were on the outside ..you know out there gathering fresh medical supplies, clothing, you know that stuff…people haven't acknowledged that about women in their quest… and how their strength was helping us in order to be there…And hold that ground.. 13:51 Jimmy: Did you see any people that you knew at the Memorial? 13:56 Bruce: Yeah, you know there were probably about five or six of us…we were standing around …after these 50 years A lot of things that you know we weren't sure about or to confirm other things that have happened during those days in Wounded Knee and so, we were able to sit down and confirm or you know, just stand around whatever talking and conferring stuff that was going on 50 years ago… So that was quite interesting, and I talked about the repercussions of the aftermath about killings…the women that were missing…In the mountains, a lot of people were still around on that hillside, you know, and we asked or talked about quite a few of the other people there…whether they were still alive or what they were up to. You know in this present day, it was quite interesting 15:53 Jimmy: Do you have any last words: 15:57 Bruce: Yeah…probably last words I'd like to say like I say… acknowledging the women , acknowledging KPFA, for giving me time to speak about this 50th year anniversary like that…I'm not too sure if I'll be able to go back again and I know and I know I'm not going to be able to be there for the 100th year anniversary and I want to give the acknowledgement, blessings for people that I honor very much that have helped me financially ..with the rooms or whatever to go back there like that…just so …I'm honored and blessed to have let me have the acknowledgement about myself being part of that back there…I had mentioned before that it wasn't about me myself or I…it was about us being back there acknowledging the people that weren't able make it because of hardships Maybe they were taking care of grandmothers, grandpas, grandchildren …children…so on the like that…trouble with their vehicles, maybe they didn't have gas money to go there and come back…the hardships of them having to work like that…I said acknowledging the women that were part of Wounded Knee but weren't on the inside worked on the outside gathering materials like that. So, I'm honored and blessed for all that… the Facebook page is Bruce Gali ok, talk to you guys later–HO! 00:18:39 Cathy Jackson We're speaking with Anthony Guzman of the Native American Health Centers. Anthony, can you please introduce yourself? 00:18:46 Anthony Guzman Sure, my name's Anthony Guzman, and I am the Chief Culture Officer of the Native American Health Center? I'vebeen working here now for, you know, 2 1/2 years, when I first started working here working at the health center, I came in as the Director of Community Wellness. Also, in August of last year, the health center created a position called Cultural Officer and they hired me to fill it and so I'm really grateful for the opportunity to serve in that position. It's a new job that's going to pop up around urban Indian organizations across the country and really one of the things that's the responsibility of that office is to insure that the traditional practices, ancestral wisdom is integrated into all aspects of the organization, and that culture doesn't become a trinket in these types of organization and that it's part of our value system and the way that we do business At the center, and so…several other organizations have one, such as Sac-Sacramento American Indian Health, Santa Clara Valley…and I think one of our partners up in Seattle…Urban Indian Health Institute are doing the same thing, so we followed suit…we saw the value in it…our leadership saw the value in it…so that's my current role…yeah, really excited about it. 01:54 Cathy Jackson And where are you from? 01:55 Anthony Guzman I am from Randlett, Utah. I grew up on the Ute Indian Reservation in Northeastern Utah. You know, I remember growing up out there as a kid when I just couldn't wait to get away from there, I wanted to get to the big cities and you know, I always just had this deep desire to be in the city. And now at 46 years old, I take every opportunity I get to go home, back to the middle of nowhere, high desert and ah, you know the mountain sage brush, clay sandstone hills where I grew up…it's really important to me know…to go back home and spend as much time there with my family and.. But honestly when I go home…I find myself just wanting to be alone…as a kid where I grew up you know and walking around…walking around on the high desert, along the river…and really just listening to the sounds that's ..really just nature…yeah, it sounds crazy just to talk about it now but…I remember then how badly I wanted out (chuckles) 03:10 Cathy Jackson And before we start talking about your upcoming event at the Presidio. Can you tell the listeners why you chose to do the work that you do? 03:22 Anthony Guzman That's an interesting question, I really… I became a social worker, I worked in the school at the University of Utah, and got a master's in social work. But before that, I went Haskell Indian Nations University, and I went to a boarding school at Anadarko, Oklahoma…and I never planned on ever going to college, let alone being a social worker …Social workers…where I grew up…it was…social workers weren't seen as people that were there in support…help and build the community…they were kind of seen as people who took away kids and… diagnosed you…And so, I never sought out to do this work, I sure didn't think I would be in the position I was in today. I think the work called me and you know, itjust seemed like it fit and navigated my way through school and again going through school was something that I never planned on doing either…I just think that Creator had a plan for me and to be able to do what I do today is such a blessing and so…that's kind of how I answered that question…I don't know if I really chose this path…it just kind of folded in front of me. 00:21:57 (Cathy Jackson) OK, I'm going to uh, throw in another question here before we talk about the event…ahm.. You spoke about having a son and I wanted to know what some of the differences are that you feel, or I don't know how to really phrase. How are you raising your son differently from how You were raised? 00:22:21 Anthony Guzman That's a that's such a beautiful question. You know, I think about both sides of my family: my, my dad was born in Tiajuana and so I'm half Mexican. My father moved from Tiajuana when he was five years old to Northen California and Watsonville, CA. So, I had a large family down there. And so, his father became an orphan in Mexico City when he was a child and grew up in orphanages. And my mom… both of her parents went to boarding school establishedon my reservation…and both of those histories impacted the way both of my parents parented, you know it was a tough love it was you know I think that even when was going up…the first time… I ever said I love you to my mom and dad, I was probably about 29 years old and, it was really Awkward for myself, it was awkward for my parents too. Like they – I remember seeing how uncomfortable my mom and dad were when I said it to them. And I think that had a lot to do with the history of both people, the, the, the intergenerational trauma from alcohol and drugs and historical aspects of systematic oppression and colonization and both of my family …both sides. And so, a lot of my testament…to who I am as a father. I had to come through the school of social work, because I don't think that if I went to that school and learned the skill set I did… I don't know if I would be able to be the father, I am today, you know, a very active father. I bathe my son…you know when he was a baby…I wash, I cook, I do the dishes, feed him and cloth him…changehis diaper, I love you…to the point now– you know I've never laid a hand on my son…which was very different for me…and I tell him that I love him and he's beautiful every single day. You know, I think one of the things that I remember that being a father now…opposed to my dad, sleep with my son, cuddle with him, read him bedtime stories and just let him know how much I appreciate and I love him every single day don't know if I Would have necessarily been. Able to do that without the school that I went through. And the work that I've done on myself I do, I'm actively in therapy…I've been in therapy, it's one thing to do therapy with people, but some other things to know how it feels on the other side of that therapy chair. And to do my work as well. And so, I think the difference I think…my fatherhood style, my dad's …night and day…and that's nothing to say anything bad about my parents…that's what they knew…that's what their parents gave them…and their parents, I can't imagine things they went through. Being a father is the most important thing to me, and it really helps me navigate the work in the community. So along with the question of the most important thing in my life is being a father…and a husband, you know it's the most important thing, it's the most sacred ceremony that I know that exists to me right now. The most beautiful and I'm glad to call myself a father. 00:25:36 Cathy Jackson That was a really good answer. So, tell the listeners what obstacles you have encountered in providing the services you do– talk a little bit about the services…and um, what are some of the obstacles you encountered in providingthose services… 00:26:07 Anthony Guzman Well you know when I think about providing services, it's-it's– I've worked my entire career in the Indian community-in the Native communities…I'm a social worker, I've worked for my own tribe for years, Friendship house ah, CRC, among various tribes, you know back home in Utah, but also worked in urban Indian organizations in Salt Lake City as well.. And I think the obstacles that we always face like…the sources of money that we get. Not always enough money -that always can be an issue, but it's about the sources that we get that money from. So, if you're getting money from the feds, from the county, from the state…private donors…attached to that funding is always the expectations that you have…and some of those expectations aren't bad they're very important. You know, data collection, what is your data telling you? And being able to justify the work that you'redoing with sometimes that that's a double-edged sword Sometimes it feels like it's just a bunch of obstacles and you know your heart's making sure your community's getting services that they need and wanting to see the community thrive and heal from all the disparities and trouble they've had… However, each one of those contracts and funders, you know, sometimes those challenges in which you expect or there's a bureaucracy there. That's just the slog at times. And you know, like, you know, there's certain there's certain contracts, and you got to know your contracts and grants to say, hey, this contract, you can buy food and have a cultural celebration where you feed the people, and and some say no… you can't do that, or they say you can't charge a traditional practitioner to this, and so I think one of the one of the obstacles to that and you know being able to have unrestricted fundings to do those types of work without having to ask or knowing all these little details of those contracts. But I don't want to say those are bad things, you just have to be very astute in what you are doing on all those contracts, particularly when you have a lot of contracts, you just have to run through one of those and it's a lot of awareness. So my hat goes off to go to the organizations that you, that they know what they need and can put the money where they want to and I think sometimes that's one of the obstacles with having a lot of contracts ..there's some awesome things you can do, you have to think outside the box to fulfill those grants expectations when you have unrestricted funding to do the work that you do then that's awesome. Hey, let's have a wonderful cultural celebration, and we bring in healers from all over and pay our relatives. What they deserve to be paid. That'salways been something that is important to me. I remember I had– I used to hold punk rock skateboard festival on my reservation. And I remember – You know, like you can't do that like, but that's not a substance abuse prevention– I'm like you bet it is, I had skateboard competitions, you know, punk rock, and heavy metal, you know, hip hop artist, some of which are now very well known in the country, which I'm really proud to see where they are right now. But you know, SAMSHA, IHS-Phoenix area office… So, you know, they might not be really able to see the connection on how those types of activities are prevention activities for youth and even some of the adult folks. So, bureaucracy is definitely a challenge there. And you know, sometimes it's my colleagues. Sometimes I'm not saying anything about understanding the world in general. Sometimes we got folks that are burnt out with the work that they do and that really kind of comes through, and I'm fortunate my colleagues that we currently have right now are fantastic and they really believe in the mission of our organization to ensure that the Community gets you know, support physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally. And um, so I'm really proud of that. 00:30:04 Cathy Jackson We need to leave a few more seconds when we switch back and forth…ah. You do have a really good staff and I'd like you to talk a little bit about them if you if you can. 00:30:16 Anthony Guzman Sure, you know, I think I've been really blessed to, you know, come into an organization you know, that's been here doing this amazing work for 50 years doing this amazing, work you know, With so many of our community partners out there and, you know, friendship House, IFH, CRC and these guys have been doing the work for so long I just hope that, you know, I can put a little bit of contribution into the fantastic work. That's just, you know, what happens with these organizations and then blood, sweat and tears as you well know, for so long when somebody like me with, you know, I'm 46, but still there was the whole generation of people. And I stand on the shoulders of what we did, all that work for us to do what we're doing right now. You know Marty Waukazoo's our CEO…he has a leadership style that really allows people to meet their full potential, you know, really admire, you know, Marty and I actually worked for Helen as well at…the Friendship House and worked for Helen before I moved to the Bay Area. It was really eye-opening to see leaders like that. Everybody has challenges, you know in leadership. It's really always something that's complex and knowing and understanding that time. Marty's been great, Natalie-Natalie Aguilera…she's the chief administration officer. She herleadership is, you know, really comes through years 17 years of working here at the health center she really knows the organization and the departments. Michelle Shawnego who is a Chief People officer…really leads up a really massive department in our Human Resources…she really has to make very strong decisions and Understand the complexities of our workforce. That's very big and diverse you know, out of 275 employees and were close to 100 native employees but our workforce is a is a reflection of the Community that where we are at in Fruitvale and the Mission a very diversecommunity of our very diverse workforce, African American Latino relatives, people from all- Of the world, really constitute our workforce and I'm really proud to see that our workforce is as diverse as it is. So those are some of our Native Leadership. Hat's off to Dr. Jenkins…our chief medical officer Greg Garrett, our Chief Operations Officer, Alan Wong, our Chief Financial Officer, every single one of those people contributes to every day. operation of the Native American Health Center, you know. Let me tell you I've had some pretty tough jobs and when I came here. I think a lot of people have the same experience, the pace of which we move every single day. It's grueling and rigorous…I was just pretty blown away on how quickly I have to, you know, download information, make decisions, and move and be able to hold so much at one given time. You know, just didn't realize that I had the capacity to, to work as I'm doing now, and it definitely takes its toll on me, but I make sure that my mental health is– I stay on top of it, and so that when I go home, I can manage it and be a father, a husband and friend, to the best of my ability to some of my colleagues and. At the health center we provide mental health services, clinical, dental. We have a WIC, we have a school-based services in 11 different schools, we have a Richmond site…ah provide rental assistance in San Francisco, prevention services, substance abuse-prevention services, perinatal programming, through community wellness department, and here's ah, we do everything we can to insure that-that culture and traditional values, in an inter-tribal space is interjected in every aspect of our programming, and so again, very humbled and happy to be able to contribute to an organization that's been doing great work for so long. 00:35:03 Cathy Jackson Thank you. Let's talk about the event that's coming up on Saturday, April 15th at the Presidio now. 00:35:11 Anthony Guzman Yes, yes. You know, I want to say a fantastic big hat's off to Laura Cedillo who's one of the program managers at the health Center. She's always been a fantastic community organizer and done so much great work, I know I learn from Laura all the time and the way that she engages in the community, you know? So, on Saturday April 15th from 11:00 to 4:00 PM, we have the Inter-Tribal Dance Gathering, dancing is our medicine. We have our brush dancers showing up. The bird dancers, round dance songs–you know, Mike Ballenger, All Nations Singers…and just the title, “Dancing is our medicine,” is so powerful…You know as a clinician you know, you learn all these different types of interventions, you know, and cognitive behavior therapy, motivational interviewing…EMDR you know, the list goes on and often times…they take these little Elements of human beings have used historically heal, and understand lives about people who have to function in the world. one of the things that I always notice was that all indigenous people all around the world danced for all things they danced for healing: they danced to grieve, they dance for joy and celebration, they dance to laugh Andso… You know I think that western psychology and medicine is finally starting to catch up at understanding ah, how you integrate movement, and song and dance into the lives of human beings…it's so crucial and important and I think the inter-national dance gathering is that, it's a demonstration to say -hey look, these ways have always supported the growth and healing and driving of people. But it's also opportunity to just come together and be in community and laugh and dance. You know, every single one of us I think that times and you know in our lives and get caught up and our work and titles and what we do and mission and we're all out there achieving, but when we dance… All that goes away, and we become one with the people around you, We come one with the space that you're in you can hear the trees and you can hear the birds. You can hear the ocean. We can hear the laughter of children and all that stuff goes away…and for a moment you're tapped into everything around you, and that's the way when we think about this event, that's how I envision it… That's how I feel when I hear the word dance…so get out there, shake your tailfeather, use your clapper, you know, wherever it may be…cause at the end of the day…when Indigenous people dance…it boils down to a couple of things…and some of it is…love and relationship. 00:38:40 Cathy Jackson Well, I'm sure people will look forward to that event at the Presideo…can you give the contact information for the event and maybe some of the social media contact- I saw a flyer maybe you could talk about that. 00:39:00 Anthony Guzman Sure, [if] you have any questions regarding the event, get a hold of Joseph Vasquez or Laura Cedillo, and you can get ahold of them at 415-417-3556 or you can e-mail at SFCWD@nativehealth.org We also have our Instagram page I believe that is. Directions are 7 Gen 1D, Native American's Health Center Instagram page, and from there, you will be able to get connected to the rest of our social media accounts on Twitter… And Facebook…I think right now, our Instagram has a lot of good stuff there and you can follow some of the things that we are doing not only in San Francisco, but also in Oakland, and the Richmond site as well. 00:40:02 Cathy Jackson Well, I'd Like to thank you for taking the time to speak, to Bay native circle today. Are there any last words? 00:40:11 Anthony Guzman Yeah, you know, I think we covered a lot a lot of topics today. And I just want to thank you so much for giving us an opportunity to share a little bit about who we are and what we do at the health center…I think ah, one of the things that I think is so important, you talked about and thank you for asking you know…as men in the community think about how important it is, that we ah, you know, we take care of our mental health…we cherish it, and when we see something that we need to you got to make sure you talk to somebody and find the services that we need to in order for us to know as men, as fathers, as brothers as friends to all of our communities…that we take care of ourselves in that way, ..you know our women have carried us in community so, so strongly, and for so long.. But that wait can be very-that wait can wear…and so, they definitely need us I know there's men out there, doing exactly what I'm talking about. But if you see a brother out there, and they're suffering and they're down…go over there, let them know how much you care about them, if you don't know how to give them the support that they need…don't be afraid to let them know, and normalize some of the help for mental health, it's so important…and I'm saying that as someone that has practiced that myself. You know I've found that times that I've tried to power through things, but every time I've reached out to get support…I see that my resiliency's a lot more–I bounce back quicker…and I learn something, I learn something about myself, and I stay in relation to other people, and to pass that on to other folks, too. And I see them if they might need help, or they reach out. So, I wanted to share a little bit about that, because I know how important that is support each other…it'ssuch a dynamic and fascinating time right now, so much going on…I'm so excited about our indigenous America right now…let's do everything we can to fulfill our dreams in community. Again, thank you so much for the opportunity to share some thoughts, and yeah and (I think he said Wopila) 00:42:31 Cathy Jackson OK, thanks. (Transition theme) 00:42:31 Cathy Jackson We're here with Rass K'Dee…ah Rass please tell the listeners a little bit about yourself…and what you've been up to lately. Rass K'Dee: hey, how's it going, been a while since I've been on air, thank you for having me Cathy…appreciate it–big fan of your program also, back in the day…yeah, I definitely have been a listener of Bay Native Circle…um…actually host for – I think nine years I hosted? So… It's good to be back on air with you…and just share what we've been up to. I belong to the band AudioPharmacy…my name is Rass K'Dee…been performing with Audiopharmacy-this will be our 20th year coming up next year, so we're excited to be celebrating 20 years of our work and music and cultural sharing in the bay area and beyond, and ah…yeah, we're just gearing up for a bunch of events this spring, just coming on the air to share some music, and just some vibes with the people. 44:28 Cathy Jackson: So, tell me a little bit about this film and concert that's coming up 44:31Rass K'Dee: Yeah, so we made a film called “Groundworks” which is, was…initially it was kind of a collaboration with Dancing Earth…this other group from Canada, Toaster Lab… another film group. We came together to kind of you know, create these short films…they were like 360 films, they were for virtual like virtual reality films? And um, for the virtual space, and um, we filmed a couple of them and through the process of filming these original films, we ended up making a feature- a full length documentary…uhm, which is not 360…just 2D space, but…it's 57 minute film, and it features bunch of California Native Voices, and cultural bearers and one of them is myself, also Canyon Sayers Roots, Bernadette Smith, and L Frank Manriquez, some of the voices that you've probably heard a lot here on KPFA in the Bay Native Circle over the years, and we asked them what kind of…what do they want to share…what are the stories that they want to share…you Canyon, you know, talked about Indian Canyon, Bernadette talked about the acorn festival, and reviving the acorn festival…myself talked about my music, and work with the Nesta Media Arts Center here in Forestville building our sustainable artists hub here in Sonoma County, and Snag magazine, our native arts and culture magazine and then L Frank talked about her work-their work, artwork, and work that they do as well. Everyone kind of shares a little bit about their culture, and cultural piece…but yeah the film has had a lot of success, it aired on KQED last year…I think it was on…over a thousand stations, it went nationwide…so that was a good opportunity for folks to see it last November, we're just following up with some screenings here in the bay area, we're screening it at the San Francisco State…I think it's on April 12th…at SF State from Noon to 1:30 and they'll be a Q and A, and also a panel, the filmmakers won't make it this time, but some members of AudioPharmacy…some members of the Native staff and teachers at SF State will be on the panel as well and that's going to be at SF State on April 12th…um, and then we also have a concert that we're doing. We're following up with a concert on April 19th at the McKenna theatre in at SF State, and that concert is with AudioPharmacy, my band…you know for those that aren't familiar…we're world hip hop ensemble–anywhere from five to ten of us onstage at once…but we have a pretty, pretty well-known for getting the party jumpin' in the bay area community. But that show will be on the 19th from 7 to 8:30 and for students out there, students of SF State or students in general…the first 200 tickets are free, so definitely jump on that, and there's also some promo codes if you go to AudioPharmacy.com…you can find out more information about those. Cathy Jackson 48:25: Well, it sounds like you have been busy. Can you talk a little bit more about the film…and where people can see it now? Rass K'Dee 48:34: Yeah so if you have a KQED membership, you can watch the film, it is on KQED on the PBS stations in your city where you're tuning in from, but you can just search “Groundworks” on KQED or search Groundworks Film…you can also see the trailer, search Groundworks trailer um you can see the film trailer, but yeah, the film was really kind of evolved from like really from a question we asked you know, these tribal leaders and members you know, what issues or what things do you want to talk about, what kind of things do you want to show from your community…as opposed to approaching them with our own hatched idea of what we want to share from their culture from their community, and I think that's a little bit of a different approach…I think a lot of times us as culture bearers, community culture workers, or ceremony makers…or…yeah, so a lot of times, people come to us with projects that are kind of fully hatched, they want us to um just come on for a fifteen-minute land acknowledgement or open upthe band or sing a song you know, as artists and musicians…culture bearers… You know, we didn't want to do that…we wanted the artist to share what they wanted to share, and what are the projects that you're excited about, and it's um, just more of a different approach, and I think that really opened up…I think…you know these artists that we're showcasing opened up them to be able to really hone in on the projects they want the world to hear about, and that's what's most important really is that the ones that are near and dear to their hearts…you know. Cathy Jackson 50:20: That's great so you're really opening up space for other people…ok well anything else you'd like to add? Rass K'Dee 50:43 Yeah…well I'd love to see–we have a bunch of shows coming up this spring and I recommend just checking us out and I think the best way to check out our calendar for April/May is to AudioPharmacy.com…and you can see all of our dates, we have a show at the Oakland Museum on May 5th, and then we'll be in San Francisco at the Gongster's paradise event on May 6th, the day after…we just have a bunch of shows in April and May, so I'ddefinitely check out audiopharmacy.com if you want to come to one of those…come see us in the community. But yeah, we're excited for the spring…excited for the upcoming events…yeah just this new birth…time of renewal…so I'm giving thanks for you Cathy…thank you so much for having me on today. Cathy Jackson 51:43: Well, thank you so much and I'm sure that Falcon will pick out some music from your Radio Cafe to play…is there anything you'd like to suggest? Rass K'Dee 51:56 We have a couple of new songs, there's a new song called “Translucent” which just came out, and the music video is coming out soon…that, it's already ready…music video, we also have a song called “Lose your Mind”…which is a really long song, you can play a portion of it…nine minute song…that one also has a music video, those are like newer songs, but anything from our catalog, you know, is great…you know audiopharmacy, we have several albums…and I know Falcon's a big fan, so he'll find something… 52:34 Cathy: Alright thanks a lot 52:36 Audiopharmacy song…to outro 55:16 Morning Star Gali: Here's the calendar for upcoming events with audiopharmacy…On April 12th, Groundworks films screening with audiopharmacy includes a Q and A, this will be held Wednesday April 12th from 12 to 1:30 p.m. at 1600 Holloway Ave in San Francisco…for more information visit groundworksfilms.com. On April 19th, audiopharmacy is playing a live cypher at San Francisco State University…this is a free event…this will be held from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. again on April 19th. Also, on April 19th audiopharmacy is providing a live theatre performance. This will be from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at 1600 Holloway Avenue in San Francisco. For more information please visit audiopharmacy.com/events. On Saturday April 15th from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., you're invited to the Native American Health Centers Inter-Tribal Dance Gathering, “Dancing is our Medicine” this will be held at the Presidio in San Francisco. Dance in many indigenous communities is a prayer, an offering…a balancing our physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional selves, which in turn heals and strengthens our communities. The native American Health Centers welcomes Indigenous Communities and the greater public to enjoy healing dances by California tribes, Ohlone Hupa and Kumeyaay…round dance songs by Mike Ballenger, Kickapoo/Sac n Fox, screen printing by Smithsonian, featuring artist Calixto Robles, Zapotec, and beading with Kelly Roanhorse, Dine…and more. Purchase delicious foods celebrating the bay area's diverse cuisines from Presidio pop up food and beverages, and vendors. Limited seating is available, please bring your own blanket or folding chair. For more information visit Park Conservancy.org, or nativehealth.org for the latest updates. Thank you for listening to our special edition of bay native circle…a special thank you to our engineer, Falcon-Miguel Molina, Jr. This is Morning Star Gali, you have been listening to Bay Native Circle…our producer is Janeen Antione, opening music is L. Frank, mixed with Rass K'Dee, Robert Mirabel, and Rare Tribal Mob. Thank you goes out to Mike Biggz for running the boards, and to Diane Williams for the opening prayer. We thank our musical artists, our guests, and our listening artists for your continued support. We want to give a shout out to our brother's sisters listening on the inside, especially those on death row. Thank you to Creator, to the indigenous peoples on the lands we occupy, to our ancestors…and to those yet to come…blessings (end) The post Bay Native Circle – April 5, 2023 – Morning Star Gali Hosts. Cathy Jackson Interviews Anthony Guzman, Rass K'Dee & Jimmy Jackson Interviews Bruce Gali appeared first on KPFA.
Today we are thrilled to welcome our first guest host, Jonathan Koe, who shares a highly charged and vulnerable conversation with their teacher and friend Madison Nees. Jonathan, who first appeared on In Search of Tarot back in April of 2022, is a queer mystic who currently lives in Brooklyn, NY, land of the Lenape people. Fluent in the language of music, astrology, tarot, energy work, statistics, and the Akashic perspective, Jonathan aims to empower the collective through compassionate discernment, to nurture communities of passionate seekers, and to expand our sense of interconnectedness beyond the myths of binary-thinking and not-enoughness. You can follow Jonathan's contemplations and conversations with friends (including Nick and Madison) on their podcast, Healing The Spirit. Originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma, Madison Nees currently lives and practices on Kumeyaay land (also known as San Diego). Madison is a queer artist, human, guide, and facilitator who believes in a non-expert model that empowers the individual and collective to tap into their own wisdom rather than as a facilitator having the answers. This is Radical Aliveness. When Madison began their own journey, they did not understand that the pull to Somatics was a call of their ancestors. They were being pulled to embody all the gifts their mother could not and ultimately lost her life suppressing. Madison was being pulled to feel the things their Grandmother had no language for. Madison's body knew the language however, and it spoke in illness, pains, aches and rage. During this process, Madison discovered gifts hidden beneath these repressed emotions. These gifts were the sensations, intuition and creativity of their lineage. When Madison stopped trying to push these parts away, they wondered what would happen if they let them grow. They grew into Madison's practice today. SUPPORT THIS PODCAST ON PATREON Work with Madison Follow Madison on Instagram Work with Jonathan Follow Jonathan on Instagram Listen to Jonathan's Podcast Music by AJ Ackleson. Thanks AJ!
When we enter new astrological signs, there is a palpable energetic shift. This week, the sun entered Pisces and we had the new moon in Pisces. As a Pisces, the shift was more dramatic than I've ever noticed before. Whether you have any planets in Pisces or not, it will help you navigate these dream, intuitive waters if you align with this energy in a few simple ways. In this episode, I share my experience of living as an emotional, sensative being and give you some actions you can take to go with the flow instead of trying to swim upstream! My upcoming offerings:Weekly Yoga, Meditation, and Energy work classes: In my next 4week series Generous Heart we will work with yoga, breath, and meditation practices to engage the pure love and generosity that flows from your heart and amplify it with intention. Join me every Monday at 5:30 pm on Soul Tribe Online or in your own timing with the recording on the class archive. Mother Tree Retreat March 18 and 19 in San Diego! Join us for a 2-Day immersion into the ancestral Mother Trees, surrounded in the beautiful Pacific Beach community, honoring and connecting into Kumeyaay land. Together, we will cultivate community, threaded with divine wisdom, innate curiosity, and humane connection. My mission is to help others find balance between their spiritual and logical sides and realize these two aspects work best together as a collaborative experience. If you feel called to explore working with me, check out my one-on-one session options.Shop Sage Moon a conscious lifestyle shop offering inspired boho-chic clothing, sacred gifts, and more.Check out the sustainable yoga products at shaktiwarriorshop.com and use the promo code WARRIORSUSAN at checkout for 10% off.Get updates about my offerings directly to your inbox by signing up for my newsletter.
Generosity is an incredible tool for expansion and growth. We can shift our energetic field—along with the recipients of our generosity—when we give unconditionally. We can also practice techniques to expand the heart and naturally become generous. It's a circular energy that amplifies in all directions. In this episode, I explore how you can engage with generosity to evolve spiritually and uplift the collective energy on the planet. I've found it to be a simple, yet profound awareness that I've been delving deeper into and I hope to inspire you to consider how generosity has impacted your life and how it could take you to new realms in your spiritual journey. My upcoming offerings:Weekly Yoga, Meditation, and Energy work classes: In my next 4week series Generous Heart we will work with yoga, breath, and meditation practices to engage the pure love and generosity that flows from your heart and amplify it with intention. Join me every Monday at 5:30 pm on Soul Tribe Online or in your own timing with the recording on the class archive. Mother Tree Retreat March 18 and 19 in San Diego! Join us for a 2-Day immersion into the ancestral Mother Trees, surrounded in the beautiful Pacific Beach community, honoring and connecting into Kumeyaay land. Together, we will cultivate community, threaded with divine wisdom, innate curiosity, and humane connection. My mission is to help others find balance between their spiritual and logical sides and realize these two aspects work best together as a collaborative experience. If you feel called to explore working with me, check out my one-on-one session options.Shop Sage Moon a conscious lifestyle shop offering inspired boho-chic clothing, sacred gifts, and more.Check out the sustainable yoga products at shaktiwarriorshop.com and use the promo code WARRIORSUSAN at checkout for 10% off.Get updates about my offerings directly to your inbox by signing up for my newsletter.
An inner-city community organizer for 25 years, Dana has founded numerous youth leadership programs in elementary, middle, and high schools and in an inner-city Police Division, partnering with the Juvenile Services Team. Mentoring many inner-city children, youth, and families over the decades, Dana has fostered trust with immigrant, reentry, and refugee populations. In 2017, Dr. Felitti introduced Dana to Dr. Anthony R. Pico, (former) Chairman of 26 years with the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians. Now, on the Warrior Spirit Family Leadership Team, we are passionately focused on healing Indigenous families from historical trauma and ACEs. Collaborating with several Tribal Nations in CA and beyond, we are now integrating "truth-telling" in public education and social service sectors. Mrs. Brown is the PACEs Science Statewide Facilitator with Learn4Life and along with Craig Beswick and Gabriel Nunez-Soria, has trained thousands of folx around the nation on the Trauma-Resilient Educational Communities (TREC) Model, an 18-month accreditation with public charter schools and social service providers. As a community leader, Dana is on several Advisory Councils and Board of Directors with Community Wraparound, Echo Parenting & Education, HOPE Grounds, and Ilheimo Bopachemihn, dba Tribal Oak Tree Foster Family Agency. Winning several awards over the years, Mrs. Brown has received many awards over the years, including the Joy McAllister Advocacy Award from Mental Health America in 2014, President Obama's USA Volunteer Presidential Award in 2012 (with San Diego Compassion Project), and the City of San Diego's Human Relations Commission Award in 2009. An author, Dana co-wrote Hidden Treasures. Anthony Pico is the elected chairman of the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians. He has served as the Viejas tribal chairman for more than 24 years. His tribal "rags to riches" story includes his Native American Indian band's rise from abject reservation poverty to tribal ownership of the successful multi-million dollar Viejas Casino and shopping outlet center on the Viejas Indian Reservation, Alpine, Calif. Please visit the official Viejas website for information to learn about the sovereign Viejas Tribal Government and Kumeyaay History from a Kumeyaay perspective.
This is the ancestral land of the First People, the Kumeyaay. Nature's benefits, or the goods and services vital to human health and livelihoods, are also called ecosystem services. While there are several categories of ecosystem services, of focus today, and increasingly within the National Estuarine Research Reserve System, is the category of cultural ecosystem services. These are the non-material benefits that result from paired human and environmental interactions and include stewardship, aesthetics, recreation, and education. For places with strong indigenous and local community presence, these encompass environmental conditions that allow for spiritual experiences, cultural heritage, sense of place, and way of life. In this episode of Divided Together, we'll hear from Dr. Kristen Goodrich on her perspective about the Tijuana Estuary's ecosystem services. We'll also hear from Adela Bonilla Armenta, who works in a collective in Los Laureles, Tijuana Mexico that focuses on upcycling waste to make beautiful and functional products, and Gregg Cady in the Tijuana River Valley in San Diego who is involved in farm education. We will examine reciprocal relationship with place and hear the stories of two people in a bioregion, with livelihoods that are influenced by their being situated in the Tijuana River Watershed yet on different sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. Divided Together is a California State Parks podcast series for Border Field State Park, brought to you by Parks California and the generosity of an anonymous donor. Adam Greenfield is the engineer and co-producer of this podcast. Victoria Chavez contributed voiceover for Adela Bonilla. Anne Marie Tipton is the host and co-producer.
Mikaela de la Myco was born into a first-generation Italian, Afro-Caribbean and Detribalized Mexican family who lived in unceded Tongva territory, Los Angeles. Her education comes from years walking the paths of sacred intimacy work, temple arts, circle keeping, Mexican ceremony, and womb care facilitation, all under the care of teachers and guides.Mikaela now practices in occupied Cahuilla and Kumeyaay territory -- San Diego, CA. As a mushroom matriarch, she creates much needed education and spaces for unmet populations in the psychedelic renaissance, with an emphasis on mothers, bleeding people, and family communities. Her primary focus is holding community based circles where people can journey through the dark amenta to uncover their ancestor codes, explore and rewrite trauma wounds and make meaning with mushroom and other earth medicines.You can stay in touch with Mikaela on Instagram at @mamadelamycoHer website is: www.mushwomb.loveAnd you can stay updated on her happenings through her Link Tree https://linktr.ee/mamadelamyco
As we navigate challenging moments, how can we accept what is and bring more ease into the moment? In this week's episode of the Third Eye Science podcast, I share more about that process of surrender and the truth that I've embraced—it's not happening to you it's happening for you.Maybe you, like me, had a rough start to 2023. My plans for holiday travel and intentional ringing in the new year didn't turn out exactly as I'd hoped. But as I navigated horrendous travel delays, a terrible cold, my beloved cat going in for surgery, and destructive storms in my area, I constantly came back to this idea: I can surrender to what is and embrace the experience as an opportunity for spiritual expansion. It wasn't easy in the moment. But the more I accepted my situation and relaxed into the flow of energy working within and around me, the more supported I felt. In this episode, I share more about that process of surrender and the truth that I've embraced—it's not happening to you. it's happening for you.My upcoming offerings:Step into 2023 with intention and conscious connection by joining me for my January class series: Yoga and Meditation for Quantum Embodiment. Join me every Monday at 5:30 pm on Soul Tribe Online or in your own timing with the recording on the class archive. Mother Tree Retreat March 18 and 19 in San Diego! Join us for a 2-Day immersion into the ancestral Mother Trees, surrounded in the beautiful Pacific Beach community, honoring and connecting into Kumeyaay land. Together, we will cultivate community, threaded with divine wisdom, innate curiosity, and humane connection. My mission is to help others find balance between their spiritual and logical sides and realize these two aspects work best together as a collaborative experience. If you feel called to explore working with me, check out my one-on-one session options.Shop Sage Moon a conscious lifestyle shop offering inspired boho-chic clothing, sacred gifts, and more.Check out the sustainable yoga products at shaktiwarriorshop.com and use the promo code WARRIORSUSAN at checkout for 10% off.Get updates about my offerings directly to your inbox by signing up for my newsletter
This is the ancestral land of the First People, the Kumeyaay. For thousands of years, fresh water flowed down from mountains to the east, carving out a course and, with its sediments, creating the Tijuana River Estuary when it mixed with the waters of the sea. All that time, plants and animals adapted to the evolving environment, with Kumeyaay using the estuary and its surrounding land for food-gathering and habitation. With the arrival of Spanish colonists and soldiers in May of 1769, all those patterns began to change and the natural landscape was subject to a different idea of ownership and land management. This shift was cemented when in 1821, the Tijuana Estuary became part of Alta California. In 1848, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the U.S.-Mexican War – and ceded present-day California to the United States, eventually solidifying borders that changed people's ways of life. You might have heard the war between the United States and Mexico referred to as the Mexican American War. We prefer to use the term U.S. -Mexican War because it acknowledges that Mexico is also a part of America, as well as the hard feelings that still exist to our neighbor to the south regarding that war. In this episode of Divided Together, we'll hear from Rachel St. John, an historian who wrote a book about the early U.S.-Mexico border period from 1848 to the 1930s. How did a simple line on a map transform into the regulated divide we have today? In this episode historian Rachel St. John shares how an array of officials, land pirates, and law enforcement created the foundations for the modern border control we have today. Divided Together is a California State Parks podcast series for Border Field State Park, brought to you by Parks California and the generosity of an anonymous donor. Adam Greenfield is the engineer and co-producer of this podcast. Anne Marie Tipton is the host and co-producer.
Dr. Stanley Ralph Rodriguez is from the Santa Ysabel Band of the Iipay Nation, and a Tribal Councilman for the Nation, Director of Kumeyaay Community College, member for Advocates for Indigenous California Language Survival, and a U.S. Navy Desert Storm Veteran. Dr. Rodriguez teaches at Kumeyaay Community College, Cuyamaca Community College, and adjunct faculty at California State University San Marcos. Dr. Rodriguez is dedicated to educating indigenous communities and is a committed mentor to the native peoples of the region and one of 33 remaining Kumeyaay language speakers. He teaches Kumeyaay history, culture, and language revitalization and is an advocate for cultural preservation.
In the first half-hour “First Voices Radio,” Co-Host Anne Keala Kelly (Kanaka Maoli) talks with Mikilani Young, Kanaka Maoli cultural practitioner and kahu. Their conversation begins with a prayer for one Hawaiian elder, and then goes onto the cultural and spiritual connections between Indigenous peoples, the protection of Mauna Kea, and Mikilani Young's own prayerful path, living here on Turtle Island, thousands of miles away from the Hawaiian Nation. Mikilani's courageous approach to the practice and teaching of Indigenous Hawaiian ways is both suited to, and challenged by, the times we live in — sharing, but not selling, giving, but being discerning so as not to exploit or diminish the mana of her own knowledge. Her path is a prayerful, thoughtful balance between human needs that adhere to the soulful premise of existence, while maintaining and honoring the Creator's guidance. Mikilani's journey has taken her to many First Peoples Nations (Tongva, Winnemem Wintu, San Carlos Apache, Kumeyaay, Acjachemen, Pomo, Coastal Miwuk, Klamath, Moduc, Maidu, Colville Confederated Tribes, Wabanaki Confederacy, Kewa Pueblo, Tonoho O'odham, Akimel O'odham, Hopi, Lakota, Nakota, Dakota, Warm Springs, Diné, Mohawk, Yavapai, Payómkawichum, Kwatsáan, Tatavium, Lisjan Ohlone, Wintun, Onasatis). She is at her most grateful and skilled when she can be a unifier of people across and beyond the land she lives on, and joyous because she lives with complete trust that her ancestors guide her path. Mikilani formed the non-profit United Pillars of Aloha as well as Kaiapuni Ho'ola Piha Sanctuary in service of Mother Earth and the unborn generations. More about Mikilani can be found at: mikilaniyoung.com. In the second half-hour, we feature several selections from First Voices Radio's “Top Listener Favorite Songs of 2022.” Production Credits: Tiokasin Ghosthorse (Lakota), Host and Executive Producer Anne Keala Kelly (Kanaka Maoli), Co-Host Liz Hill (Red Lake Ojibwe), Producer Malcolm Burn, Studio Engineer, Radio Kingston, WKNY 1490 AM and 107.9 FM, Kingston, NY Tiokasin Ghosthorse, Audio Editor Kevin Richardson, Podcast Editor Music Selections: 1. Song Title: Tahi Roots Mix (First Voices Radio Theme Song) Artist: Moana and the Moa Hunters Album: Tahi (1993) Label: Southside Records (Australia and New Zealand) (00:00:22) 2. Song Title: Star People (feat. Jim Cuddy) Artist: Vince Fontaine's Indian City Album: Code Red (2021) Label: Rising Sun Productions, Winnipeg, MB, Canada (00:29:55) 3. Song: Reap & Sow Artist: One Way Sky EP: Soul Searcher (2021) Label: Akimel Records (00:33:50) 4. Song: Ball and Chain Artist: Xavier Rudd & J-MILLA Album: Xavier Rudd: Jan Juc Moon (2022) Label: Virgin Music Label and Artist Services Australia (P&D) (00:38:55) 5. Song Title: 1492 Artist: Earth Surface People EP: 500 Years (2021) Label: Underwater Panther Coalition (00:43:50) 6. Song Title: The States I'm In Artist: Bruce Coburn Album: Bone on Bone (2017) Label: True North (00:53:05) AKANTU INSTITUTE Visit Akantu Institute, an institute that Tiokasin founded with a mission of contextualizing original wisdom for troubled times. Go to https://akantuinstitute.org/ to find out more and consider joining his Patreon page at https://www.patreon.com/Ghosthorse.
Grab a drink and settle in for this power-packed episode of the Midwifery Wisdom Podcast. Cohost Leila Wyatt talks with Lindsey Oakes, a Queer and Nonbinary CPM practicing in California. They dive into how the show "19 Kids and Counting" introduced Lindsey to Midwifery, their experience studying at Nizhoni, working with the Amish community, tips for taking the NARM, and more."My name is Lindsey Oakes, my pronouns are they/them, and I'm a Queer and Nonbinary CPM and soon-to-be LM practicing and living on unceded Kumeyaay territory, currently known as San Diego, California. You can find me by email at LindseyOakesMidwifery@gmail.com For those that are able and feel called to donate, I'd like to direct any monetary support to the apprentice midwife I'm dedicated to supporting on her journey. Her name is Phoebe Velasquez Islas, and she's been a community traditional birth worker since 2014 who is prioritizing BIPOC families as well as teen/young parents. Phoebe is an apprentice midwife working with LM CPM Nicole Morales of Art of Opening Midwifery. Phoebe is a mom of four daughters, many animals, and a keeper of the land and the plants native to this part of the world. She, in my opinion, deserves all of the support in the world. Any resources donated to her journey will be recirculated through continued community support." Show Resources-IG: @LindseyOakesMidwifery-FB: Lindsey Oakes-LindseyOakes.com-FB: Phoebe Velasquez Islas-IG: @womb_waters_medicine_-Venmo: Phoebe-VelasquezIslas-PayPal: MsPhoebes@gmail.com
If you look out into the ocean from Coronado this Saturday, you might see a part of Kumeyaay heritage. Kumeyaay students, professors and community members will sail 50 traditional tule boats Saturday.
As momentum continues to grow around the Land Back movement and Indigenous stewardship worldwide, the value of hearing from Elders who have long studied Indigenous traditions and lifeways, whether adopted or of their heritage, is a growing imperative. Their lived wisdom is essential, a gift and treasure for future generations, and continues the cycle of dynamic, inter-generational learning in the traditional way — the way of direct, felt experience and deep listening. Hear Payoomkawish (Juaneño/Luiseño) Elder Richard Bugbee [https://www.indigenousregeneration.org/] share insights from his decades of studying the way of plants. He emphasizes the importance of reclaiming our ways of seeing, being and understanding the world by reclaiming Native languages and observing the world more closely. Enjoy provocative insights from an elder who has devoted his lifetime to the study of plants and their uses, the reclamation of language, and the practice of material culture. Richard Bugbee is Payoomkawish (also known as Payómkawichum Juaneño/Luiseño) from northern San Diego County. Richard has ties with multiple Indigenous nations including the Kumeyaay. He is an Instructor of Kumeyaay Ethnobotany and Ethnoecology at Cuyamaca College through Kumeyaay Community College [http://kumeyaaycommunitycollege.com/]. He is the Chair of the Board of Directors for the Advocates for Indigenous California Language Survival (AICLS) [https://aicls.org/]. Richard is on the boards of Indigenous Regeneration (Mata'Yuum), Climate Science Alliance, and Inter-Tribal Fire Stewardship. Richard was the Curator of the Kumeyaay Culture Exhibit at the Southern Indian Health Council, the Associate Director/Curator of the San Diego American Indian Culture Center & Museum, and the Indigenous Education Specialist for the San Diego Museum of Man. He was a member of the Native American Council for California State Parks, California Indian Basketweavers Association ((CIBA), the Land ConVersation, and the Elders' Circle for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Richard has been learning traditional plant uses of southern California and the Kumeyaay language from Jane Dumas, a Kumeyaay Elder from Jamul Indian Village from 1980 to 2014. He was the ethnobotanist for the Traditional Indian Health Program through Riverside-San Bernardino Indian Health providing information on the interactions between traditional plant and pharmaceutical medicines. He teaches indigenous material cultures and traditional plant uses of southern California at many museums, botanical gardens, and reservations, and is an instructor for summer cultural programs for several Kumeyaay tribes. His goal is to use knowledge to serve as a bridge that connects the wisdom of the Elders with today's youth. Listen to our related show on Indigenous Regeneration from earlier this year: https://wilderutopia.com/ecojustice-radio/indigenous-regeneration-remembering-the-past-to-inspire-the-future/ Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ Support the Podcast: https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio Hosted by Carry Kim Intro by Jessica Aldridge Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Executive Producer: Jack Eidt Show Created by Mark and JP Morris Episode 140 Photo credit: Richard Bugbee
Ritual can help begin things, end things, bridge over from one thing to the next. What differentiates one kind of ceremony from another often comes down to intention. But what are the materials of ritual and how can we use them to design ceremonies to support us in doing "the thing"? Links: Material Feels Podcast CXM Designs Shame Piñata Opening & Closing Music by Terry Hughes Material Feels Podcast music by Liz de Lise Rate This Podcast Full Transcript Colleen Thomas: I have to contain my natural excitement a bit, so to be quiet and to listen, cause what my job is, is to listen and to hear and to hear between the words and to say, oh, wow. I tell me more about that….a lot of deep listening and just profound respect for their process and gratitude that they would in that they are involving me in their process. Um, cause they're letting me in, even if I'm not in the ritual, I'm helping them plan it and probably going to check in with them afterward just to sort of get a debrief on how it went. I feel in the zone the whole time I'm in ritual space, especially if I'm not facilitating or having to be my brain, if I can just be in my body, you know? I feel most empowered when I feel like I'm not doing it alone,when whatever is moving, maybe being witnessed by people, listening to this thing I'm sharing or watching this thing I'm doing, and they're with me, you know, they're a hundred percent with me. They're like linked up with me, like energetically in this space. I feel like I'm like connected to spirit, to ancestors, to, you know, in my case to the goddess or all it is, well, then I feel like I'm, I'm not alone. And that, that is very, very freeing and comforting. Colleen: My name is Colleen Thomas I'm a ritual artist and an independent audio producer. I am based in the San Francisco bay area. materials that I work with are time and space and elements. Catherine: How would you define a ritual? Colleen: It's intentional space that's created with one or more people and it is, um, usually has an intention, with a sacred space of some kind created, um, whether that's or an intentional space, I could say, cause it's not always the, the word sacred and religion kind of go together. Like that bridge to juniors thing I had when I was leaving brownies was a ritual. It was very secular ritual, you know, anyway, and it wasn't, and they didn't make a big deal and invoke any gods or goddesses or anything obviously. But you know, like it was an intentional space. Like parents came, it was like, there was a program, it was like a, this is the purpose of this gathering. It was a ceremony. Welcome to Material Feels, where we explore the intimate relationships between people and the materials they have fallen in love with. I'm your host, Catherine Monahon. Just a heads up this episode is a bit intense: ritual and ceremony is a deep topic. It can bring up heavy emotions, and the kind of work Colleen does asks us to go to a vulnerable place. You might need time to process during or after so I encourage you to press pause, jot down some thoughts, listen with a friend and maybe give yourself some extra time after listening to decompress. Please take care of yourself. The interview with Colleen was recorded on Ohlone land in Oakland, California, and this episode was produced on the traditional territory of the Kumeyaay. The Kumeyaay's territory has incredibly diverse geography in the state of California, stretching from the coast to the desert, with valleys and mountains between. The Kumeyaay have intimate knowledge of this topography, their cultural practices in tune with the seasonal changes. San Diego County has more reservations than any other county in the country. Every time I do a land acknowledgement, I don't just google “Whose land am I on?” I take time to read and listen to the voices of the people. Indigenous ways of relating to the material world are sustainable and sacred; as a Material Feels listener, I imagine you care about those things, too. Non-indigenous listeners, please take time to learn about the not-so-distant history of residential boarding schools; pay a land tax to the first people's whose land you occupy, and use whatever platforms or resources you have to bring awareness and take action. Today, we're exploring the materials associated with a creative practice we've all engaged with in one way or another: ritual & ceremony. Ritualist Colleen Thomas specializes in crafting rituals for life transitions and co-creating ceremonies that often deviate from the traditional ones many of us are used to (baby showers, birthdays, weddings or funerals). Catherine: Why do people come to you in search of ritual? Colleen: I connect with people, they are going through a change in they're a little bit lost and they're not sure how to create comfort and create meaning and create perspective when… it's like things happening to me is sort of the theme, right? Like, you know, I'm S yeah, like I'm suddenly going through a divorce or, um, or COVID is suddenly here and well, what are we going to do? I did some rituals with friends about that. Betty Ray said on my show, Shane piñata that, rituals create a space that help us create a container for the strong emotions that come with transition. Catherine: Then what do we do with that container after like, I... I'm interested. I love that quote. And I think about you building the container and thoughtfully filling it with the materials that you choose with that person, but let that like, then what happens? Colleen: Well, we have to figure out what the intention of the ritual is. The planning of it is almost as good as the doing. And the planning in my experience takes a lot longer than that. The actual doing the ritual right there doing the ritual could take an hour or something, but the planning can take weeks. And so a lot of the shifting and then making sense of the thing and the coming to terms with the thing. And then what is this going to mean for me and what are all my feelings about it and what are, what do I want to do with these feelings? Do I want to express them? Do I want to be angry and throw things? Do I want to, you know, curl up in a ball and you know, whatever, they are right. Playing with those feelings, working with the feelings, um, w that all happens during the prep. I mean, it could happen in the ritual too, but it's happening deeply with the prep, right? Figure all this stuff out and make sense of everything and just really pull it apart. It's like giving ourselves time to really let this thing be what it is, and to take up space and to not just be like an inconvenience, we shove aside this is important, this transition and how I feel about it and how I'm reacting to it, all the positive and negative ways. I might be reacting to this, you know, they're all valid. And so it's like creating space for that. Especially like if you and I were in a process together, creating something for you, like, I would hope I could be there for you as somebody, you could explore that with, to whatever degree you want it to, and just kind of be in that space with you. When we do the prep work and we feel into what, what will the, the hour long ritual say, it's an hour? What will that do for us? What do we want that to do for us? How do we design that? So it does. And the thing, you know, it's a safe container, or we get the rage out or we're witnessed for this, or we walk across the bridge or whatever we're doing, right? Like we figure out how to engineer design it. Um, so that it maximizes the potential of that happening. And then if that's done well, and if everything goes to plan and you know, rituals got its Spirit's got his own way and its own agenda. But in that moment there most likely will be some kind of change or shift or transition transformation. And then afterwards there can be just a feeling of, you know, release and it happened. And now I'm like this often a sense of, um, vulnerability because we were vulnerable and we told our truth in front of people, you know? And, um, sometimes when I tell a very personal thing or a deep thing or something, a couple of layers in my heart or whatever, I start shaking afterwards. And sometimes I don't even know I've done that until I start shaking. And then I realize, okay, that was a, that was a, you know, a vulnerable thing that I just did. But wait! You say. This is an art materials podcast, is it not!? Why are we talking about ritual and intentions and all this abstract stuff and not… oil paint, or clay, or paper? Well, I see ritual as an art form, and with every art form, there are materials and creative practices that go into creating it. Depending on one's faith, culture, personal choices, and intentions, the materials are vast and varied. Catherine: Are there particular materials that you are drawn to? Colleen: The intentional container is a big one, probably the most, probably the biggest one. Intentional container can be created by like reading a poem or taking a breath or having a moment of silence. It could be reading the Lord's prayer. It could be anything, you know, but it doesn't have to be religious. Offerings are always the first thing, you know, um, making an offering of whatever that is. It could be words, it could be prayer. It could be a water, flower petals, Some of the intentional objects to create the space, which, um, again, most of my experiences from the pagan community, which invokes the elements and the directions: objects such as feathers or incense for air, um, salt or earth for earth water, a bowl of water for water, um, and a candle or, and, you know, uh, an electric candle, um, or an image of fire. Then there's also symbols of the numinous, goddess, or God like statues Mary's images, Mandalas. Honoring of, you know, the, the thing that is, uh, spirit to us or nature, or not spirit for people who don't, who don't connect to spirit. Honoring the ancestors is another big, um, piece of my practice. Journaling and art supplies, um, can help us, you know, um, process stuff. And also remember what happened, create something to take with us with a new intention. Um, and music can be very helpful to can put us in a different space. Colleen identified time and space as her core materials: creating a “container,” for people to engage with deeper emotions, imagination and connection. Then there are a range of materials that go into building out that container into a ritual or ceremony specially designed for you: special objects, photographs, symbolic objects for the elements, art supplies, music. She also talks about invoking the elements…and I am intrigued. What is invoking, though? How does one… do that? Colleen: I do that with rescue remedy, you know, the five flower formula that is, um, that is a homeopathic remedy to deal with stress and trauma. What, I don't have it with me, I just kind of invoke it. I just say the five flowers in that, you know, in that remedy, I just, I need you right now and I need you to come and help me calm down and be in this moment and just kind of invoking them in my mind. And with my heart really works for me. It creates, it creates their presence. It welcomes their presence. Catherine: When you were just saying about invoking and inviting, I thought it was really interesting. You, you closed your eyes, um, and you sort of had this different emotion cross your face. And, um, I'm curious when you are inviting something in, when you were in or invoking or inviting or, um, I don't know if conjuring is the right word. Um, what does that feel like for you? Colleen: My body feels warmer when I go into that space. Um, it's not a headspace, it's a body space and it feels like for me, it feels like a very receptive space. Maybe that's why I close my eyes because I'm not trying to, you know, see anything or accomplish anything, but I'm just like instead sort of turning inward, coming to a more quiet place with my eyes closed. And I usually put my hands out sort of unconsciously, like, you know, um, receiving with my palms open, upward, just sort of, um, inviting and imagining allowing that presence to come to me. And it's really just coming to me in me. Right. I mean, if you were here, you might have the same experience, but might be different. It's all, it's, you know, it's like, not, especially if we're not like burning something in this space, it's not in this space, it's just in us. Right. So it's like, I feel like we, we each have our own connections to these things and we each have our own connection to different deities or divinity or plant medicine or essence of whatever, whatever it is, even memories, really healing memories can, we can invoke. And if I remember them and then they can start to kind of filter down through our bodies and ourselves and our bodies can sort of quiet and, and remember, and you know how that, yeah, actually I I'm really happy. Do you have a memory that quiets your mind or gets you in a certain state? It's kind of like the happy place we explored a few months back, inspired by paper artist Zai Divecha. Except in this case, it's a distilled memory, like Hillary's memory of riding a bicycle down the center of an aisle in the elementary school theater for a production of Paul Bunyan. For me, I visualize the steps from wedging a ball of clay to centering it on the wheel. Colleen shares more about the importance of the elements, and how invoking the materials of water, fire, air and earth can help build the foundation for a particular ritual. Colleen: If you're at a ceremony and somebody is calling in the elements in a really, um, effective way, I feel like people start to feel it in their bodies, like the way they describe it, you know, welcome north welcome earth. You know, um, the land we stand upon the, you know, the rock beneath our feet, the bedrock beneath that, the way we are connected to our ancestry and the, you know, the strength and the mountains and, you know, the things that they say that the images that they create with their words, uh, it's usually words. Um, although it can be movement too, depending on how you're doing the invocation of the elements, but if they do it well there, I think people begin to feel it. They begin to feel like the bones in their body and the heaviness of their body on the earth and gravity, and like the things that are earthy. And, and if you have like a, a bowl of salt, you know, grabbing the salt and, or a bowl of earth grabbing the earth, you know, like just, you know, like things where you really start to feel it and connect with that aspect of, of that, that element. There's a long list of reasons that people gravitate towards ritual. I think it helps to think of them in two categories. First, ritual as a private, ongoing way to enrich your life and create stories through small moments, and second, ritual as a more elaborate ceremony sometimes with others involved, for processing hard emotions and to find a sense of peace and belonging. Colleen gives me an example of how a small, ongoing ritual can make a big difference. Colleen: I have a lot of intentional jewelry that, you know, is, was given to me like the moonstone I'm wearing today. It's as big round moonstone. And, um, it, I didn't give it to myself at a ceremony or anything woo or anything or anything, anything specific I really bought honestly bought it because I read the mists of Avalon a long time ago and fell in love with, uh, there's must be a moonstone. And I don't even remember now, but I just was like, I want a moonstone like that. And then I saw it at a store in Denver. It was a beautiful piece of moonstone. And, um, and I, I put it on I'm currently, um, in Ohio helping my mother through some health challenges. And I, when I packed, I was like, I'm taking the moonstone, even though I haven't worn it for years. I helps me stay calm. It really helps me be having inner calm heart. And so like every morning I put this on and there's no choice. Cause I only brought the one necklace. I put it on every morning, but it's like, this is part of my calmness for day. Creating stories through ritual with jewelry, a morning intention setting for starting the day or an evening ritual for closing the day… I found this to be a relatable way ritual is already present in my life. When I record narration for the show, I put on specific jewelry, and the clothes that make me feel most like me. I do my hair in a special way. When I used to go out in the before times, I felt that my bracelets passed down to me from my grandparents were both protecting me and cheering me on. So, what about the other category… the possibly public, more elaborate rituals to process emotion and craft a story in times of transition, celebration or upset. Most of us are familiar with these in the context of major life events (birthdays, weddings, funerals). And often these ceremonies are tangled up in religion. A lil' disclaimer… I was raised with very little exposure to religion; I consider myself pretty secular. In fact I have a bit of a bias against religion. I asked Colleen about the role of religion in ritual, and she mentioned the name of a guy I had never heard of: Matthew Fox. He helped found something called Creation Spirituality, a Judeo-Christian religion with a lot of crossover with psychology, feminism, art and physics. And there's a lot of reverence for nature. Colleen tells me about Fox's “Techno Cosmic Masses,” essentially ecstatic dance parties that started in Oakland and are now held globally (or were, before the pandemic). It's a sort of a remix of mass, designed to build community and connect people to a visceral, ritualized celebration. She shares a bit more about how engaging with Techno Cosmic Masses inspired her and her now husband to co-create their wedding ceremony. Colleen: There is something about you doing something with our body that, um, connects to our spirit in my experience. I volunteered with the mass and actually we, uh, with his permission, use it to create our wedding. Um, and in spending a lot of time with the mass, I, I realized that I spoke to Matt about this. I said, you know, it's, it's really hard to explain the mass to people. It's this really, really involved, intense experience to go to a cosmic mass. And it is based in the Christian faith because, cause he comes from that. There's dancing and, um, there's worshiping and there's, it's a very embodied and it's very difficult to explain it. Like if I showed you a video, you get a little more, if you went and you get it. Right. So when we were basing our wedding on the cosmic mass, we asked people to come. We ever said everybody come to one. Cause they were having them regularly come to once you can get it in your body, what this is and working with him, I realized, okay, the reason it's so hard to explain it is because it's not a head experience. It is a heart and body experience. And to me, that's where ritual is powerful. I'm not a heady person. I get really lost in, um, you know, uh, academic texts. I need to touch stuff…. My ears perked up when she was talking about bodily experiences and touching stuff. I so relate to this when it comes to the art world; I get lost when theory is the topic of conversation, or if there is a minimalist piece on display with a whole lot of writing I'm supposed to internalize. I'm most present when I can engage with materials that are mutable… materials I can hold in my hand and squish. Learning about the cosmic masses, and remembering Colleen's early memory of graduating from Brownies and crossing that bridge, I understand that while ritual or ceremony might seem synonymous with religion, the terms can live more freely and intersect much more with my own spirituality when I think about them in terms of visceral, bodily experiences. Rabbit hole moment! I was curious as to why ritual plays a bigger role in some societies rather than others. Since the U.S. is so heavily influenced by the OG colonizers (Oh hay England!), I learned about the impact of the industrial revolution on holidays and local festivals in the UK during the late 19th century. Within a three year span, bank holidays went from 36 down to 4; the time spent off doing the rituals was seen as a loss in profit, and so… the calendar got changed. Engaging with ritual shifted from the public sector to something you were expected to figure out on your own time. Commercialized entertainment became the norm as well: sports, theaters and circuses grew in popularity. Sundays became the mandated day of worship, and in growing urban centers where conditions were not super sanitary, communal enjoyment found a home at the pub. Just let that set in. Traditional and cross-cultural rituals and ceremonies have to interface with capitalism; fought for by certain groups, forfeited by others, traded in for maximized profits and Sunday mornings, with approval from the dominant religion. If you are off celebrating the moon and performing rituals left and right to process your emotions and build relationships with people who aren't your coworkers, when will you have time to make and spend money? Wait… is engaging with ritual and ceremony… anti-capitalist!? Am I… secretly a priestess!? Okay one last rabbit hole: there is also a history of mainstream media demonizing ritual and ceremony, making it seem spooky or evil (see: anything Pagan, witches, there's a whole thing about apothecaries and home medicine. Demonizing the natural world is a thing, don't get me started on the history of parks and the way nature is seen as a wild female in need of taming or should I say… domestication. Oh man. So many connections, for another day. Where were we!? Colleen and I discuss the materials and practices that might be used for four different types of rituals. Rituals to build connection, separate from something that needs be let go of, bring in newness or setting intention, and rituals for dedication and commitment. First, connection. Colleen: I would say materials for original connection might be a cord. They can be braided together. Things, obviously things that can be connected. Um, gosh, I guess you could even use like Legos or like bristle blocks or anything that, anything that you could physically put together and build, build something on. Um, I can imagine a family having a ritual of, um, connecting, you know, creating a family or blending families where they're actually like building something out of Lego, you know, like each family has a color or something and they've just built something together. Catherine: Oh, I love that. I'm from a blended family. So I'm like, oh my God, we should have done that that way. Colleen: A separation or release, um, often the ritual tools, um, use for that as the materials would be, you know, um, things that would, you know, um, cut. Um, so scissors, um, maybe again, a cord to symbolize the connection. Um, maybe I'm braiding a cord. Um, I've done several release rituals in my life that some felt like cutting was appropriate and some felt like unbreaking, or unweaving was more appropriate. Then we talk about “new seeds” – rituals to welcome in new chapters, set goals or invoke different versions of ourselves. Colleen: A lot of people, um, plant an intention at the new moon and sort of harvested on the full moon, or you could do it on the winter solstice and the summer solstice, um, and a practice that I had for a while and my husband. We got some soil, we gotta bean put it in with an intention, watered it every day. And then after two or three days, you know, you see some shoots. Um, and, and I had a bean that was the intention was trust. Um, and it actually grew like crazy and it was like growing up the wall and across the ceiling and, and, um, we call it the trust being, it kind of took over the kitchen. Then, there is dedication. Colleen: Well, probably rings would be typical. Um, or, um, in terms of like a marriage would be typical. It's fascinating to me that people walk around wearing things that identify the vows they've taken, right? Like, like, you know, I'm wearing a wedding ring and I also have a self-commitment ring for what I married myself. Um, and they're very different in my mind. And people might guess where the wedding ring is. They might not guess what the other one is, cause that's a less common ceremony. Um, but if I saw somebody wearing a you know, uh, a nun outfit or preacher outfit, you know, I would have a sense of where they're, you know, you know, like it's like, you, you it's publicly claiming, you know, I've done this thing. I've dedicated myself in this way and I'm not hiding it. What rituals are you drawn to when you hear about all the different kinds of materials and intentions and processes? What rituals are you already practicing and you maybe didn't even realize? I'm drawn to one in particular, and I think it has to do with my own stuff, as one might say. My own emotions and issues that I need support with. I'm most curious about separation. The ability to let go of something. To set it down. But when I try to identify what I want to separate from, I can't land on a person, place or thing. Sometimes I just get overwhelmed by… everything?” I'm gonna pin that thought down for later… because often when we first identify the problem we want to solve, we're actually looking at a symptom… a red flag indicating there is something else beneath the surface. Colleen talks about how often you have to go deeper to “finding the need” hidden in the pull to craft a ritual. Colleen: Finding what wants to move and what it needs to move, and that might sound strange. So let me say more. So if I, if I'm feeling happy about something and I'm realizing that I need to have, I want to have a ceremony about, let's take a concrete example. Um, let's say I've, I've lost my job and with it, my sense of self, um, and that's a grieving time and that, that, that beginning process of figuring out what needs to move like there's grief. Maybe there's a part of me that, um, maybe there's other stuff, you know, that that's like the journaling. And I talked about like, you know, finding out what what's in there, what needs to move. Like in my mind, it's kind of like, there's, there's discontent and hard feelings and they're, they're an indication that we're changing and growing and that there's emotion that wants to move. And, and what we tend to do is watch TV or buy something or, you know, not feel it cause it's, it's like, Ooh, you know, it's all unconscious. There has to be some coping, so we can't just run around screaming all the time, unfortunately. So, and yet is, do we have the capacity to create an intentional space where, where we can go into those feelings and how do we do that? Because nobody wants to do that. Right. It's gotta be safe. We gotta know, we can get back out of it. If we go into hard feelings, a lot of us don't go into hard feelings because we think we'll never come out. So like, what do I need to go into those? Do I need to be willing? Um, I need to feel like I have support with me. Right. So a lot of that pre-work is like feeling into what are those feelings and what needs to move. And it's an emotion, hint, it's emotion, right? What needs to move? And then what does it need to move? Like, what is like, I guess those things I just said or what it might need to be like, it might need, you know, I'm, I need my best friend with me, you know, and I need that Teddy bear then that will, you know, like the, kind of the comforting, soothing container things like, you know, what, what does it need to move? While Colleen was explaining this to me, the process of making sure someone has everything they need, I started to visualize packing a backpack for a long and arduous hike. You need to know the terrain, the climate. You need to think about sustenance, hydration. Maybe you bring music, a phone charger, a book or a portable watercolor set. With rituals, instead of hydration and sustenance, you need tools for creating an environment ideal for emotional safety, connection to you self, and imaginative play. What would be in your backpack? Colleen shares a story about Betty Ray, a guest on her show, to illustrate how someone might identify a need, pack their metaphorical backpack and then act on it in ritual form. Colleen: To go back to Betty Ray, she shared one of my early episodes that she went through a breakup and she was tired of giving herself away to men and to drama. And she spontaneously grabbed her checkbook and a ring. And she went to the top of the hill in San Francisco that I don't remember the name of. And she went up there and she wrote a check to the guy she'd just broken up with, um, you know, here's my energy, I'm giving you. And she ripped it up. And then she wrote a check to herself and she put it in her bra. And then she, she married herself with a ring and she basically just like grabbed her checkbook and grabbed a ring. And she knew intuitively she needed these two things. Didn't know why once the top of the hill and just, and it would, and it was new year's I think it was, I think it was Y2K. And anyway, it was like a significant moment. She was just like, she just knew some part of her knew exactly what she needed to do. It was quick, it was powerful. Whenever she looked at the ring, she remembered, you know. Yeah, exactly what you committed to. Colleen: I always encourage people to have a give a lot of thought as to who will be involved, you know, who do you want to have there? And sometimes we can go to, oh, I should have these people because they, blah, blah, blah. You know, or they'd be mad if I didn't, but it's like that kind of thinking really can't come into it or can't be where we end, because like, if we're going to let them to let the vulnerability happen, to let the magic happen, to let the transformation happen, my style is to get really vulnerable. And, and that's what I work with people to see if they want to do that too. And, and then, and then that needs to be really safe. People, you know, who won't talk about it later, you know, who won't, you know, cause they're going to know a deep part of us. Right. And then, and then also with that, anything that happens in ritual space, part of the magic and the power of it can be kind of keeping it that's, that's how things are passed down, you know, where it's, you don't know everything and it's kind of hidden and that can of course be sort of shady and not good, but also it, it does protect the magic of it, you know? So like if we have a very powerful ritual and, and I'm there witnessing something for you, or we'll let let's say, it's my ritual. If I go telling everybody which I sometimes do on my show, Hey, I had this ritual and I did this stuff and this and this and that, like I have to know that that's, it's opening that container. I felt okay about doing it on my show because I felt like I'm sharing it with people who might use nobody's written me and said, that was so when you did. Right. But, but somebody might, and that would really potentially, you know, so like, it's just, it's just important. I always tell people, be super thoughtful, mindful of who you invite and just anything you ever say about the ritual ever to anybody, because it, opening it up is, is, goes right to that really vulnerable place. The thought of building my own ritual and choosing who I want to witness it, my “stuff” as I mentioned earlier, immediately comes up. I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings by excluding them, so I let them in. Yikes. I think the challenges and inspirations you encounter when you design a ritual, much like the process of creating art or building relationships, may reveal more about you, your values and your struggles, then whatever actually happened to you to make you need a ritual to get through it. That being said, that life experience you went through (or are going through), especially if it was traumatic or disruptive, is something that others have been through, too. And those spaces where people with shared lived experiences can connect with one another are vital. Colleen: I had a conversation on a different show about, I don't know that affinity groups is the right word, but the group where the kind of group where everybody's been through, the hard thing, you know, like a, like a, like a group everybody's come out. Or, um, I was in one of, um, people who'd had a friend murdered survivors of homicide, you know, like, and like nobody, nobody gets that thing unless they've been through it and people can have all kinds of, you know, empathy and it just doesn't quite get there, but people who've all been through it. Like, that's, there's a, there's a connection there aren't words for, and it can be incredibly healing. Catherine: Throughout the process of a ritual or a ceremony, when do you feel the most empowered and in the zone? Colleen: I think I feel in the zone the whole time I'm in ritual space, especially if I'm not facilitating or having to be my brain, if I can just be in my body, you know? Um, and, um, and I feel most empowered when I feel like I'm not doing it alone, I think is my answer when whatever is moving, um, maybe being witnessed by people, listening to this thing I'm sharing or watching this thing I'm doing, and they're with me, you know, they're a hundred percent with me. They're like linked up with me, like energetically in this space. Right. I'm not alone. Or, or, and or if I feel like I'm like connected to spirit, to ancestors, to, you know, in my case to the goddess or all it is, well, then I feel like I'm, I'm not alone. And that, that is very, very freeing and comforting. Catherine: How are ritual and storytelling connected? Colleen: I like to use ritual as a place to tell the hard stories, you know, like I could have you, I could have a bunch of people over for dinner and tell them a hard story, but that might be then it's part of a social event and it's not all like people get it. That's a really hard story for me to tell her if it is, it can be like, oh, that is downer for the evening. Thanks a lot. You know, like it, it doesn't always fit like these really intensive experiences or stories that we could have that we might want to share. It's kind of like creating a place for it, you know, say, Hey, I'm having this event, I'm going to tell this really hard story. And I want people to witness it, if you want to be seen in that or if you want to grieve it or whatever it is, you know, like, I feel like we don't get too many chances to be real in life. Um, so we can create these intentional ones to be really real with each other. getting to use all of the modalities, you know, a sound and, and, um, and visuals and body and costuming and movement and dance, and, you know, alters and space and time and audience, and, you know, all that stuff can be used in both mediums. Catherine: Why do you love what you do? Colleen: Hmm. Because it gives me and other people that I work with a chance to be real and to show up in a way that we don't always get to in life to create spaces where we can be our fullest selves. And I think for me, creating ceremony, bleeding, designing, being in ceremonial space is being my fullest self. Colleen: In ritual we're often ascribing a meaning to an object. So like I just got this ring the other day. Uh it's, it's a, it's a gold ring with a circle on it and I'm wearing it on my middle finger of my right hand. And I got it cause I watched a movie with it, had a man who seemed very confident who had a lot of rings. And I was like, oh, I need a lot of rings that will do it. That will help me, which was completely ridiculous. And then I looked online and I saw this ring and I'm like, that's a nice ring. I will know what to do when I get that ring. And I was so excited for it to come. And I was like waiting at the door when it came and I put it on and I'm like, this is so stupid. It's just a ring. But, but, but I haven't given it like, I mean, that's the meaning it already had. Cause I already built that story about him. I haven't given it any real meaning yet. Right. And I could give it a meaning like, you know, all as well or, you know, the circle is complete or I'm, I'm calm or in anything I want, I can put any kind of meaning on it. So I guess I'm saying all this, just to say that any object in our life can become, um, a focus for an intention. So, and it can be private. So I can give this ring a meaning in my mind that you will never know, but every time I see it, I will be reminded of that. And it will help me, you know, deepen into whatever that is, whatever I want it to be to stay calm or everything's fine. Or, um, I know everything or I do know what to do. You know, the spring did tell me what to do and I know it now, you know, I can find it, I can find it out. You know, maybe that's what this ring is now that I think about it. But, but like I said, in one of my shows, I, I can, I can have like a wonder woman DVD cover sitting up in my kitchen. That to me makes me remember that I'm wonder woman and I'm strong and I'm everything I need. And if you come to my house, you won't know, you won't know it, it's private and that can happen with any object at any time, which is really good. I've been working on the show for two years now. It isn't a job. It isn't a hobby. It feels like an ongoing ceremony where I process emotions publicly, with my listeners as my witnesses… And when you respond to me, when there is an exchange that happens, my reaction is visceral. It reminds me of how I felt at the artist residency at Freehold when Ang, Selena and I broke down honeycomb with our hands. My mouth flooded with saliva… it was a split second, bodily reaction I can't explain. And I don't even want to explain it: it was real. Like Colleen said… it's a body experience. It's an experience I have as I am crafting the narration for the show in my head walking down the street, and finally holding the mic, my breath bringing the conversation to life, with you on the other end… I feel like I'm not alone. That feeling is both comforting and freeing… I feel both held and released. So what is the intention of this ceremony, other than publicly proclaiming my love to an auditorium of strangers? When Colleen started talking about dedication and talking about how folks of faith wear certain outfit to declare their commitment to God, I thought about the role of fashion and adornment for the queer community and for my own role as host of Material Feels. I call the state of mind I get in when I produce the show “pod-brain.” All my people pleasing habits and existential angsting goes out the window. I don't feel the need to respond to texts. I cancel and move plans, guilt free, to prioritize the podcast. I feel fully alive. It sounds like Material Feels is both a dedication and invitation for connection. I want to come back to the earlier pull I had towards rituals of separation… And I want to re-examine it. Maybe you are thinking about a ritual or ceremony you want to craft to move through hard emotions or a transition. Maybe you had a gut reaction to the four categories we talked about. What if we take my initial reaction and split it apart to see what's inside… This exercise of going deeper reminds me of the values exercise I did inspired by glassblower Deborah and by my therapist loved ones. How underneath one value there may be a deeper core value pulling the strings and running the show. Or, as Colleen puts it, find what needs to be moved. Sure, there are things in my life that I need to let go of. I'm drawn to minimalism in all senses of the word, freedom, less attachment to things that drain me. Vanlife has been a fantasy for… oh I don't know… three years now. But when I was drawn to separation, it was a pull to separate from… well… everything. I feel overly connected to and burdened by… everything. People, places, things, emotions, memories, worries. Through a lot of work on myself, I understand that this is partly because I see the potential in everything, partly because I do not value my own time and energy enough, and partly because I want to be liked. My greatest fear, other than making a mess and wasting food in the kitchen (see Pigment episode for the cashew incident) is not lions, tigers, bears or even climate change, though it probably should be that last one. My gravest fear is… disappointing people. And not being liked. And I feel totally weighed down by the gravity of people's eventual disappointment or displeasure with me. To add to the mix, people have rarely told me I disappointed them. This rarity has me believing that, because I've been busting my ass to please everyone for most of my life, it's working! I'm close to perfect, everything is FINE, even though every three weeks I want to separate from everything AKA, ya know, just… stop existing. I have such an ingrained struggle with allowing too much IN… being TOO dedicated to too many things. My next thought is… I don't think I can address these recurring thoughts through a ritual of separation. I'm not good enough at separating. Flexing my dedication muscle would be so much easier… Thinking about the things I feel pretty good at…. Throwing on the wheel, parallel parking… I practiced it. A TON. And the first time I did those things, I was trash at it. So just because separation is messy and hard and a bit awkward, doesn't mean I can't start now. I actually asked Colleen about this conundrum, and she suggested I feel it out, explore where the impulse goes. It's such a similar process to working with the material world. I made a discovery, and now I have to play with it…I think that's the beauty of ritual and ceremony for me. It makes the hard things in my mind tangible. When something is tangible, I feel I can understand it. And because ceremony overlaps a bit with performance and storytelling, I can play with it, share it with others, get more information. Add characters and ambiance, try it on, turn it upside down, play it backwards. I've started brainstorming what a hybrid ritual of separation and dedication looks like for me, one that allows me to approach and disrupt my own patterns safely. I think sharing hard stuff on air is important. And that's why I wanted to share how dark my thoughts get when I'm feeling overwhelmed. While I feel a bit exposed and vulnerable, talking openly about mental health is a value I hold dear and tenet of this show. This episode might bring up some life transitions and hard emotions of your own. As a host, it's my job to invite you in but also protect you a little bit: I often ask you to meet me where I'm at, I like the Material Feels community to feel called in and present. I imagine that as we've been talking some of your own stuff has been brought up. This is my formal invitation to check on the contents of your backpack. Add in a few symbolic objects, call in the element that aligns with your intentions, and think about where you want to go next and who you want to go there with. And on your way there, I hope you begin to feel both held and released. We'll be wrapping up Season 2 this fall with the release of another EP from Associate Producer Elizabeth de Lise, who writes our underscores and composes original music for the show. Expect a teaser for Season 3, updates about my business, CXM Productions, and some fun narrative experiments from the residency at Freehold. Thank you for being on this journey with me. If you'd like to support the show, find us on Patreon, or donate to us directly via PayPal: paypal.me/cxmproductions. And now, an original song by Liz, inspired by the materials Hillary Rea used for storytelling during her first ever artist residency at the Elsewhere Living Museum in Greensboro, NC.
This week we are joined by our lovely guest Denise Chang, a somatic trauma resolution practitioner, located on Kumeyaay land. We start off with Denise's story and how they got into the somatic work. We learn about the field of trauma resolution and what Denise does as a practitioner. Plus, you'll get a more clear definition of ‘somatics' and some helpful advice for finding and creating a relationship with a somatic practitioner. Denise shares their work with Consensual Culture, a framework they developed/uses in their work. We get real about the heaviness of the last few years and Denise shares some ways to practice embodiment when life is hard. Zahra and Hien end with a conversation discussing their frustrations, hope, and potential for the people/systems in this country. Denise (they/she) is a somatic trauma resolution practitioner, steward of consensual culture, abolition feminist, writer and dancer. Their work focuses on creating spaces for the embodiment of self-worth, sovereignty and sexuality for melanated people on the feminine spectrum through their extensive training in somatic trauma resolution, erotic movement arts, spiritual consciousness and ancestral power. Denise offers 1:1 sessions, immersive group experiences and healing circles as an intuitive space holder. They are a queer, nonbinary Malaysian Chinese immigrant femme of Daoist descent. https://denisedimensional.com https://consensualculture.com https://instagram.com/denisedimensional "The role of the artist is to make revolution irresistible." ~Toni Cade Bambara “The planet does not need more successful people. The planet desperately needs more peacemakers, healers, restorers, storytellers and lovers of all kinds.” ~Dalai Lama Image of leader vs. manager/boss https://www.modernservantleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/boss-vs-leader-800x800.png Follow us on social media Twitter: http://twitter.com/ThoughtfulWRPod Instagram: http://instagram.com/ThoughtfulWellnessRevolution For transcripts and bonus content, check out our Substack https://thoughtfulwellnessrevolution.substack.com/ Theme song: Katy Pearson
Episode 103: A Kumeyaay Perspective & Exposing Nasdijj Guest: Cedar Sherbert In this episode we speak with Cedar Sherbert (Kumeyaay) about misappropriation of Kumeyaay identity, and his experience with exposing a pretendian named “Nasdijj”. Cedar was a panelist on the (Un)Settling Genealogies conference. Rick is a citizen of the Comanche Nation, and has a master's in Indigenous People's law, from the University of Oklahoma.
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