Land Acknowledgements
My practice is located on the unceded land of the Cayuse, Umatilla, Walla Walla, and other indigenous tribes. This is stolen land of unconquered people who still fight daily for recognition from the US government, which continues to deal with these tribes in bad faith. This is wrong, and while I do not have all the answers, I believe we must look to and follow the lead of these tribes to find justice and repair relations. As part of my own integrity I commit to donating to the Chinook nation who are another local tribe that is still fighting for federal recognition and actively seeking donations. I am also open to other suggestions on how I can be in better integrity around issues of land and native justice. Please feel free to email me at [email protected]
Privilege Acknowledgements
I would not be in the place of privilege that has allowed me to create this practice if I and my ancestors had not benefited from the systems of BIOPC oppression and white supremacy that have caused, and continue to cause so much death and suffering throughout the world. I seek daily to better understand my privilege and role in upholding these systems and to dismantle them within myself and my bodywork practice. One piece of that is offering equity pricing to BIPOC and other marginalized peoples. If you would like to take advantage of my equity pricing please email me [email protected] and I will send you a code to use when booking.
Practice Acknowledgements
Part of dismantling white supremacy is acknowledging that the primary modalities I use as a bodyworker are based on the ancient wisdom of the Shawnee people. Myofascial release, craniosacral therapy and other gentle touch modalities all derive from the principles of osteopathy set out by Andrew Taylor Still in the late 1800s and early 1900s. This was a time when European medicine was barbaric and crude. Still set down his osteopathic principles claiming they were his own invention. However he spent a great deal of time with the Shawnee people and may have even been apprenticed to one of their medicine people. It has become clear that he took these principles of careful listening and holistic mind, body and spirit integration from the Shawnee and chose not to credit them. This is yet another case of cultural appropriation by a white person for their own gain. While Still chose not to give proper acknowledgement to the Shawnee people in his work I can make a different choice and am deeply grateful for the knowledge and wisdom of the Shawnee that runs through my everyday practice.