Paying attention to how white supremacy shows up in my life and in my work has been an on-going process. I think it is important to say that I am no expert. This has been a journey of undoing my own biases, acknowledging my own power and privilege that I move through the world with, so that I am able to show up with more awareness and self-reflexivity.
A part of this learning means acknowledge the lineage of where my practices come from, who my teachers are and what their influences were. Acknowledgment of lineage is an on-going process of uncovering the layers of history that has shaped the practices I am in relationship with, as a means towards reciprocity and repair. Without this acknowledgment, Western somatic healing modalities and birthwork paradigms will remain embedded within the values of white supremacy. A fellow somatic practitioner recently drew my attention this article by Susan Raffo which has been a helpful tool for me in addressing appropriation in somatics and related fields.
The first step towards lineage acknowledgment is naming my practices, from who these practices emerged from and what drew me to them. I don't adhere to any one discipline or modality. I practice in an interdisciplinary way that includes my training as a classical and contemporary dance artist (Nadia Potts, Martha Graham, Isadora Duncan, Merce Cunningham, Lester Horton, Rudolf Laban and more) , asana practitioner (ashtanga vinyasa - K. Pattabhi Jois), somatic movement educator (body-mind centering - Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen and Mariko Tanabe), doula and reproductive justice advocate (Black Granny Midwives of the America South). I have learned from and been shaped by the work of Rodney Diverlus, Ravyn Wngz, Syrus Marcus Ware, Renee Linklater, Sage Hayes, Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen, Marika Heinrichs, Katherine Belfontain, angel Kyodo williams, Kai Cheng Thom, Resmaa Menakem, Peter Levine, Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha, Layla Saad, Che Che Luna, Amanda Acorn, and Fiona Griffiths, just to name a few. I am grateful to these teachers, mentors and to the many dance teachers I have had over the last 20+ years who have shared their wisdom and teachings with me.
Acknowledging the History of Birthworkers
It is important to acknowledge the history of the granny midwives of the American South who very much paved the way for midwives and doulas today. Black granny midwives offered person-centered care and holistic support for their clients and we owe an acknowledgment to the important work they did. It is important to understand how the legacy of white supremacy has failed to acknowledge this history, as well as the mothers of gynecology (Anarcha, Lucy and Betsey) who gave up their bodies for the Western medical practices that are still used today.
What I am doing
I draw upon my own lineage of body-mind practices from Italian folklore traditions that come from L'Aquila/Pratola Peligna and throughout the southern regions as well. I am in the on-going process of reconnecting to these practices as a way to heal. Finding connection to my ancestral Italian practices, like that of the Tarantella or Tarantism (the trance dance of the spider) and tarot, has begun a process of reconnection.
Additionally, I continue to participate in conversations, lectures and workshops around how I can collectively work towards dismantling white supremacy within my communities and within myself. It has been important for me to truly understand, especially as a guest here on stolen Indigenous land, the historical and ongoing violence and cultural genocide the First Nations peoples experience under the colonial project known as "Canada". I also maintain a commitment to increasing access to all forms of healing for communities experiencing barriers and through mutual aid. I strive to continue to offer services in accessible ways to reduce barriers and by staying grounded in cultural humility and awareness.
Land Acknowledgement
I acknowledge that I am a second generation Italian-Danish settler living on the stolen and unceded territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, the Anishnaabek Peoples, the Huron-Wendat Nation and the Chippewa First Nations. Tkaronto is governed by many treaties including The Two Row Wampum, The Williams Treaty, The Toronto Purchase Treaty/Treaty 13, and The Dish With One Spoon. Tkaronto is home to many different First Nations, Inuit and Mรฉtis peoples. I continue to explore the ways in which my work as a movement educator and student can support movements for decolonization and liberation on this land. I am learning what it means to honour these ancestries, and my own ancestry in right way. As a speaker and writer, I seek opportunities to amplify and advocate for and alongside those voices who have been silenced, while also learning to be a more effective co-conspirator.