From Fall, 2020 ~ Sonoma County

Local travels that fall were in Sonoma County ~ FANHS-Sonoma's garage sale ~ and kulintang gathering (both at Alexis' creekside abode) ~ ~ John Dayberry & Alexis & Tek Tekh Galbadon & Alexis Canillo ~ the Bangka was stored at Brenda  &Norm's place for quite a while (thank you Cousins!)

TRAVELING MY GARDEN

2020 is an intense year. The SARS2-COVID19 and the movement for BLACK LIVES has rippled across the globe. Friends and family have died and I am in grief off and on throughout any one day. While I return to the days of old when I was more actively out on the streets, I research so I can recommit myself to bringing justice along with light into the world... but I also need peace and that is why I travel to my garden.

Plants and plant medicine is like an old friend moving in and out of my life. Growing up in Berkeley, California exposed me to the aromas of essential oils while wandering the streets with my elder cousins. I fell in love with plants as a teenager while living with my Grandparents. I learned how a plant’s spirit can soften one’s heart, as well as bring daily comfort and joy.

I turned to Acupuncture and Chinese herbs when my annual struggle with allergies affected my job performance as an artist and educator in my twenties and thirties. I also tried using a variety of Western herbal medicines with my youngest daughter. She struggled with insomnia, back pain and other ailments while she was a teenager. But with 4 urban children and a full-time job I had little time to care for plants.

My nephew rekindled my love of growing plants when he lovingly revived our neglected backyard. While traveling with friends through the Pacific Northwest, Grandma Dottie, a Makah elder of the Coast Salish people, introduced a small group of friends to her ceremonial practices and the gathering of medicines. She had us pray while gathering Usnea and then making tinctures. She then sent us on a search for Columbine and instructed us to plant it in our yards. That year, along with my nephew, we revived our garden in San Francisco. I focused on medicinal herbs and flowers. He planted exquisite succulents.

Grandma Dottie sparked my interest in making tinctures and planted the seed that made me daydream of gardens while I was teaching art in the public schools of San Francisco. I began studying herbal medicine part-time. After years of teaching, I followed my dream of immersing myself fully in the world of plants and plant medicine.

Fast forward to 2020. I wanted be an organic farmer. Yet not having land or additional helping hands led me in a different direction. When my school offered the Clinical Program I immediately signed up. It was love at first client! Connecting with people to share the magic of plants and the ability of plants to heal continues to be fulfilling. Teaching never left as I've taught in a variety of settings in the San Francisco Bay Area. I also mentor budding herbalists through my annual Intern/Mentor program.

In early 2020 I was obsessed with researching SARS2-COVID19 and shared what I learned with my Interns. The Stay-In-Place orders brought the gift of time to return to my garden. It has been the gift of balance, reciprocity, order, harmony, timelessness and joy. It is a time of great grief over deaths and the global response to police brutality. Yet I am greeted by a bounty of roses and other flowers. The mini-forest of bay, pine, fir, CA buckeye, oak, and cedar trees bring peace while the storm of life roars around us. Visiting birds enjoy the cherries and other fruits while singing greetings to the sun each morning or welcoming the coming dusk. Whether I am weeding, helping new seeds germinate or just basking in the silence of my garden I am thankful to get dirt in my fingernails, feel the sun on my skin, listen to the wind or raindrops and bask in another day of life, thankful to breathe.

 

Weaving Recap

I am honored and thankful to all the people who helped me on my journey as a weaver, especially to the Bawer family, the Alliance for California Traditional Arts (ACTA), the Creative Work Fund, Manilatown Heritage Foundation, Kularts, my family & KW (who put up with my busy schedule) and my sisters in Kalingafornia Laga! 

Let's recap my weaving journey...

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2008

It was my second trip to the Philippines, but the first journey to the Mabilong community of Lubuagan in the Kalinga Province. I received a Teacher Fellowship to study the relationship between contemporary urban artists and traditional artists and in my travels to Mindanao, Panay and Luzon I met so many different artists that were to become my friends. I hadn’t know at the time that I was to  learn to weave many years later. In 2006 I visited the T’boli weavers of Lake Sebu and revisited them in 2008. My next weaving stop was to see the weavers of Sagada and Ifuagao. I was accompanied by Ruel Bimugag (Ifugao Photographer) and his wife, Irene, who brought me to stay with her Kalinga family in Mabilong, Lubuagan. This first visit to Lubuagan gave me the opportunity to spend time with esteemed Kalinga Culture Bearers, Manong “Sapi” Bawer and his wife, Manang Maria, who would sit with me while winding her pitipit in preparation for one of the weavers of their family.

I spent several weeks observing the entire Mabilong community under Manong "Sapi's" direction preparing for the 100th year anniversary of Provincial Government with their traditional skills of weaving. I visited several weavers. Some were learning to preserve a pattern that had not been woven for a long time. The elders wanted to preserve this pattern and I was gifted a “kain” (tapis/skirt), which I wore during the celebration and later even danced with the community. 

2012
When Jenny Bawer Young was awarded her first “Master/Apprentice” grant I spent the year learning how to laga (Kalinga backstrap weaving). 

 

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I wove a belt and my first “kain” which I have worn during dance performances or cultural events I participated in over the years. I also provided my first laga demonstration at the Bayanihan Center in San Francisco. One of many more to come over the years!

2015-2017

Jenny Bawer Young and Kalingafornia Laga was awarded a grant to complete the first of its kind ~ a tapestry! Our group collaborated with the Mabilong weavers to complete, “Chewang chi Biyeg.” The tapestry (shown below along with Kalinga regalia and jewelry) enabled us to connect the dots between the U.S. and the Philippines. When residents and community members in San Francisco’s fight against the eviction of residents and Manongs of the I-Hotel it demonstrated how people came together to resist big money's attempt to take over a community for profit. We saw the success of the Kalinga people who stopped the building of the Chico River Dam as an inspiration. They kept their homes safe and their rice fields from being flooded. In today's world the fight for affordable housing in urban settings and Indigenous Peoples caring for the land is a growing concern for all worldwide.

It took many hands from young to old in San Francisco and in Mabilong to complete our tapestry, from pitipit to the final sewing, beading, and embroidery.

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2019

Fast forward to 2019! Jenny Bawer Young and I cofounded first “Laga Circle, CA” then renamed it “Kalingfornia Laga” to establish our profound relationship with the Kalinga people, but to keep rooted both in Kalinga and in California, where our growing number of weavers and interested community are exposed to this beautiful weaving tradition.  I am happy to report that several of the weavers have surpassed my

own skills, a growing number of them are also making presentations and conducting demonstrations, Jenny Bawer Young is being recognized as one of our premier Culture Bearers of the San Francisco Bay Area and the larger community is recognizing the importance of maintaining cultural traditions not only from the Philippines, but from many other countries as well.

Big gratitude to Jenny Bawer Young, who taught me how to weave Silambituwon this year!!! 

 

2015 ~ Year in Review

Early this year, my eldest son, Sandino, wanted to recreate his visit with his sister, Aja, his father & I to the Yucatan. Sandino was 5 years old, Aja three and our visit to Cancun, Isla Mujers and Tulum at a young age was an experience he hoped his daughter would have. I suppose my nudging got him to invite us all to his 2014 end-of-the-year-bonus vacation package to join Amaya & his girlfriend... and so Aja, Dario & Aaliyah, Corazon & Joaquin and I shared a special time in the Yucatan. With a successful son like mine, it was a substantial upgrade! My ex and I used to do budget travel ~ mostly buses through Mexico... this time we stayed in a condo, took taxis or walked, jumped on a tour bus and ate exquisitely... & of course, drank Mexico's favorite medicine: tequila. Here I am at my favorite spot with my wonderful children, all now grown, some with children & all glowing from finally accepting their Mexican heritage. Having not being able to grow up with their paternal grandfather, they mostly are culturally Nicoya/Ilocano/Pangasinan/American ~ but this trip gave them pride in having Mexican heritage too.

Yup, it's a California Poppy! I spent most of the time in California. That's because we moved... there's no photo, but I have a new home here in Sonoma County & my travels have been all around my new home.  It's got a huge garden, although many of the plants of the previous owner had died off or floundered because it was a huge drought year yet again. Many of the plants in the garden are non-native, requiring lots of water to thrive. I cut back on the watering and the poor plants have suffered, but this is California, we've got global warming, and I need to replace many of these with local plants that can live in this crazy weather. It's been a busy year, but I am starting to feel more settled...but...

The biggest change has been our pup, Chica, a pitt bull. I'm getting lots of exercizing walking & discovering different beautiful places in Sonoma County... wineries, parks, even some outdoor malls.... She needs lots of attention and so that means not much dance for me anymore (hey, I already had cut back a lot from all my herbal studies!!!!), but I get a lot of time outdoors in nature!

We had one big scare & that was that she's allergic to bees. On a walk to a local park, she collapsed & I was thankful to get her to a vet in time. I would like to thank a wonderful Mexican soccer player and his compassionate wife (who pulled him out of his game) by assisting me. He carried her & ran all the way to the other side of the park to put her into my car. TGI futbol!

Balik Sa Dagat ~  Bangka Journey ~ Laga, CA Circle ~ Kalingafornia Laga ~ here we are joined together on a journey to bring celebration of Filipino culture & heritage to Santa Rosa for it's Luther Burbank parade. It was tons of work, but also tons of fun! I am so thankful to be immersed in a friendship circle that is doing really good work in revitalizing our traditions, which is very hard to do in the diaspora. Congratulations to us all on our hard work and commitment to keeping our traditions strong!

Speaking of traditions here with my kids &  Rara Tou Limen, with Portsha Jefferson & Daniel Brevil, with fabulous music, choreography, vision, and spiritually fulfilling community offerings. Aibobo!

SF Carnaval is not complete with my menina ~ Our sisters dance with different contingents, but we always bring spirit on strong for healing for our communities ~ I am thankful for my sisters, who have held me up when I was down. Meci ~ gracias ~ arigato 

The Giants series & our victory was a highlight for me! These two little girls have brought tons of joy to my life and each others. We took a great road trip with Aja to Oregon this year too and every family event is complete when the two girls are together. May these cousins enjoy each other's company, comfort, laughter, joy, learning, and support forever. May their lives help make a better world for everyone!

 I traveled to Granby, Colorado for the American Herbalist Guild's Herbal Symposium. I loved it, learned a lot and earned a certificate in the Medical track. Interestingly, I met fabulous folks in the Diversity Committee and hope to continue to build a relationship with them and see the progress of the AHG in providing accessibility and diversity in Herbal Medicine. While the Symposium was filled with a number of informative sessions, as a person of Color, I was disappointed with how few of us were there and the lack of many of us teaching. In any case, there's always room for change, and with the state of our world with it's intolerance of other people's class, race, ethnicity, religion, sexuality & gender, we can use some change.  Here I am with Christopher Hobbs & unknown friend. He was the husband of Leslie Gardner, my gardening & herbal mythology teacher from the California School of Herbal Studies and Founder of Sonoma County Herbal Exchange. Our Rootie 2013 group loved her immensely and we were her last class before her transition. RIP

This is the view we had each day of Kawa Ariki Training we had from Maori Healers, Atarangi & Terrence Muru and Manu Koreha. I've been studying with the Maori Healers for a bit and this training of mirimiri, romiromi and spiritual healing has been developed by the Maori Healers, who are making a worldwide impact by sharing their ancestral knowledge beyond Aotearoa.

& here's a sample of how to use your feet, besides walking... Feel like healing? Follow the Maori Healers and schedule a session when they travel to your country... or visit them in Aotearoa... your life will never be the same again and you will be grateful for it.

And finally, before the December holiday, the meninas traveled to Thailand to witness the beautiful wedding of two of our favorite people in the world ~ Anthony & Boonchalong. This adventure brought us to Chiang Mai, Phuket & Bangkok, a diverse rural, beach, urban trek with time with learning about Thai culture, tradition, religion, food, plants, dance, and music.

My favorite times were early morning (yes, 4 am) food prep and mother/daughter Thai conversations & then... dancing with Thai mom before eating breakfast... and of course, eating scrumptious Thai local foods, prepared with loving hands and even delivered from villagers.

It was a wonderful adventure, unexpected for me as I had never thought I'd ever visit... but now, I hope to return one day to learn even more.... anyone joining?

Te Rongopae ~ The Clear Bright Horizon

I haven't traveled internationally since 2008, being focused on the work needed here on Turtle Island. This trip, Te Rongopae, was a call that I heeded, even planning it at the very last minute, but heeding its call and gaining more than I would ever have imagined. Organized by the Maori Healers (http://www.maorihealers.com/), Atarangi Muru and Manu Korewha, I have gained practice, insights, songs, dances, dreams, thoughts, inspirations and a new family, a Whaunou. We are connected by the rainbow bridge, our thoughts and actions, our ha ~ breath of life ~ and our tears of joy and pain, from the innermost recesses of being. I am honored to have made the journey and will share bits and pieces as time goes by.

Our training intensive was held at a wonderful retreat ~ Kawai Purapura ~ here's our dining hall area, taken upon my arrival ~ I flew in one day late and was unable to participate in the morning ceremony at the ocean, but was instead greeted by a beautiful forested area with lovely buildings at this retreat ~ my friends were to arrive a bit later ~

Transitions ~ Weaving a New World

Each week I journey from Sonoma County to San Francisco & Alameda Counties ~ hoping to drive to Santa Cruz County to check on the health of one of my favorite Shasta Elders ~

~ As I write my hands have seen more dirt, seeds, computer keyboards and textbook pages ~ but I am learning ~ I revel when I touch the softness of stems, flowers and leaves ~ buds of life to be woven to support ours as plants always have ~ threads of cotton, threads of wool, maybe flax or dogwood ~ may our hands return to simple things that bring us pleasure, joy, comfort, warmth and a connection to our true inner beings where light is the rule ~ feeling good about our Laga, CA Circle ~ our weavers encircled in Kalinga looms ~ weaving a new vision for the SF Bay Area to the beat of tongatong in the distance rolling to us over the waves ~ an undulating rhythm that keeps us upright, strong, nimble, quick and resilient ~ weave on little sisters ~ weave on ~

New Beginnings, New Life, New Student

~ from one classroom to the next ~ my role as a teacher on hold so i can learn more from the plants ~ i am a babe in this green world ~ learning all this new language of physiology, botany & more ~ it's exciting, challenging, exhilarating and sometimes exhausting ~ but i love it ~ & you'll see why below ~

~ it's refreshing being surrounded by these beautiful plants, this sweet Emerald Valley, each day at school in Forestville, CA ~ hope all's well where you are on this beautiful planet, our Pachamama ~