Bohio Cibanani

Iya Alaichemi & Abuela Behike Ana Nanichi Tlahuicoatl

This photo was taken in March 2022, when we signed onto the joyful responsibility of caring for a 10-acre refuge for Afro-Indigenous LGBTQ2S peoples and those who love us. We were so happy because our dreams are coming true as we:

**fulfill our cultural roles as water and seed stewards;

**realize our vision of creating retreat space for LGBTQ2S artists, scholars, activists and healers to rest and come together;

**realize our vision of creating opportunities for traditional ecological education in collaboration with elders, friends and partners;

**enact our desire to restore timberland to a sacred commons where Northwestern tribal communities can harvest food and materials for sustenance;

**enact our commitment to holding land-based ceremonies for our communities.

Bohio Cibanani

We foster Traditional Education. Throughout the year, we gather to share teachings about our cultural histories; to study traditional mathematics and science; to develop our relationship to our cultures and traditions; to teach songs and dance forms; to teach traditional agricultural practices and to teach traditional management of food and medicines.

We care for water and land, and teach Environmental Stewardship. We integrate our traditional Caribbean Indigenous and African ancestral practices with local tribal forest management practices. Our past, current and future work includes: indigenous seed protection; water protection; a healing garden; a food forest garden; and a Caribbean foods greenhouse; the tending of a first foods forest in collaboration with our PNW tribal kin.

Traditional Ceremonies are opportunities to assist community members in shedding illness, grief and trauma. They are also opportunities to affirm and celebrate our cultural identities and ancestral knowledge. We host healing ceremonies, ceremonial dances, rites of passage and community celebrations.

We enact Solidarity through sustained relationship with traditional leaders from a range of tribal and Afro-Diasporic traditional communities.