**Taino Illustration by Ferni Vazquez "Let the Waters Bring Forth"
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ART- the use of skill & imagination in the production of things of BEAUTY
Video of Kuya singing a Mexica Water Song for a Zoom circle with Spirit Root Medicine People: Indigenous Two Spirit Lifeways (Spring 2021 - Ohlone Territory)
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Kuya'karanuta'ni Gonzalez (formerly RaheNi) is a Two Spirit Afro-Borikua Taino Ceremonialist, Sacred Artist, Culture Bearer & Cultural Organizer. They are Project Director & core facilitator for Spirit Root Medicine People: Indigenous Two Spirit Lifeways. Kuya has three decades of indigenous ceremonial practice & 2 years of accumulated silent Vipassana retreat practice. They teach workshops focused on healing, plant medicine making, self care & Ancestral remembrance. Additionally, they have taught meditation in forests, prisons & for end of life services. Kuya’s creative passions are mulitidisplinary & are rooted in the sacred realm of the Ancestors. This includes the curation of sacred spaces as well as the creation of Altar items made with natural materials such as clay, plants, bones & shells.They are also a Gardener & Indigenous Permaculturist. ​ ​
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FOR CURRENT INFORMATION ON WORKSHOPS, EVENTS & CIRCLES, PLEASE CHECK MY INSTAGRAM PAGE & MY LINKTR.EE

​​2023 Highlights

In October I was ceremonially renamed Kuya'karanuta'ni by my Caribbean Kin. In the Hiwatahia Taino language my new name means "Light Manifesting." 
Picture taken in the Batey (ceremonial grounds) after the naming ceremony with Iya Nana N'kisa Alai Chemi (left) & Abuela Ana Behike Nanichi Tlahuicoatl (right).
I facilitated an 8 week meditation series for the 2SQTBIPOC community to support folks with the grief of witnessing the genocide in Palestine.  
In September I was a featured guest for "Reclaiming Curanderismo," a KQED live event held in San Francisco. I facilitated an opening Meditation practice, took part in the panel & performed a protection spray demo using fresh local plants. 
​Watch the recording.
In the summer, I facilitated a 5 week series of "Corazon Sagrado" for QTBIPOC in collaboration with the Healing Clinic Collective
Photo on right is of the "Loving Heart Altar" created for the final ceremony of the series. 

​​2022 Highlights

I was humbled & honored to be spotlighted in a new book, "The Curanderx Toolkit" by Atava Garcia Swiecicki. In the book, I share some of my personal story. I also recall an important encounter I had with my Abuela in the dream realm. There are 12 other awesome Curanderx featured in the book as well as many plant remedies & methods for self healing. Read a more detailed description & purchase the book here.
I was so deeply humbled & moved when Abuela Ana Behike Nanichi Tlahuicoatl & Iya Nana N'kisa Alai Chemi sent offerings & asked if I would "receive" a sacred Canoe & envision a Blessing Ceremony. This Canoe was carved out of a Sacred Ceiba Tree by an Elder in Kiskeya (the Dominican Republic) & they brought it all the way from there. This Canoe traveled all the way across the US in order to be the first Canoe to hold a Tribe of Afro Taino who will now join their Indigenous Relatives on the Tribal Canoe Journey, an annual trans-national Indigenous voyage & gathering in the Pacific Northwest. This journey is an inter- tribal reclamation of our sacred relationship with the waters. But it is also very important to point out that the Taino embarking on this journey are Taino who identify as Queer, Trans & Two Spirit. The fact that this will be the 1st Taino delegation to join this journey & that the delegation is also queer is history in the making. It’s a huge step for our people in reclaiming an Indigenous identity that was taken from us when the US proclaimed that the Taino were extinct & that gender was a binary system. This journey & our participation in it is one way we, as Indigenous people, not only honor our Ancestors, but resist being invisibilized. The Canoe Blessing Ceremony was held on August 26th & there were over 100 people in attendance. It was very special for all Caribbean Indigenous identified folx in the Bay Area, CA (Huichin), queer or not, to come together within an inter-tribal ceremony & be honored & celebrated for who we are. Many offerings were made to Ohlone Leader, Corrina Gould & she also made many offerings to our community. It was a beautiful exchange & it almost felt like we were transported back in time! But here we are doing what our Ancestors have always done! This ceremony was made possible with the support of my Spirit Root Medicine People: Indigenous Two Spirit Lifeways project, which continues to go strong with monthly circles (mostly online) for the 2SQTBIPOC community.

2021 Highlights

In March I was honored to offer the opening prayer/opening of the directions for the Healing Clinic Collective's "Gender Justice Training" 
Spirit Root Medicine People: Indigenous Two Spirit Lifeways continued to offer monthly circles. In September we were one of 8 groups awarded the Belonging In Oakland: A Just City Cultural Fund two year grant! Below Image is of a "hybrid" in person/zoom circle we had in May which we called "What Are You Birthing." This circle was sponsored by the Intergalactic Council Of Midwives. In this sacred circle we discussed "birthing" in all its forms. 
​In June I offered "Queer Care" online for Ancestral Apothecary School in Oakland. This offering was in honor of the Stonewall Riots. Below video was played at the start of the session.
After 6 months of being on the coordinating committee for the Healing Clinic Collective's first TGNC2S Healing Clinic, here I am in October holding sacred space with my friend & fellow curanderx, Alma Rosa who came from New Mexico to support. 

​2020 Highlights

In early September, I got to participate in the making of a new music video for "Huracan" by Boricua musician & healer, Maria Jose Montijo. I created the altar for the video & I also got to perform as Huracan, the blue masked Taino Zemi/Ancestor. It was the most fun I had in the pandemic! Watch the full video below! 
I taught three 5 week series called "Corazon Sagrado" for BIPOC at Ancestral Apothecary School. I personally developed this series to help folx begin to strengthen their relationship with self, ancestors & all that is sacred. Participants are guided in both self care practices, the creation of altars & ritual. Due to covid 19 the last 2 series were held online. 
Altar created by Kuya for one of the final sessions of their "Corazon Sagrado" series.
In mid September, ancestral and herbal medicine workers, Rosi Bustamante and I began facilitating a 6 month Circle for BIPOC exploring the teachings within Octavia Butler's "Parable of the Sower." Our intention was to support the "sowing" and strengthening of warriors, ready to forge our emerging future. We rooted our approach to this in the Medicine Wheel and its four bodies: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Participants developed personal goals to support these four bodies. It was a circle of growth, sharing and exploration, among folx committed to being the seeds that will blossom in the future.   ​
Image by Jade Frolics
In June Spirit Root Medicine People: Indigenous Two Spirit Lifeways, a decolonizing/healing project facilitated by Kuya & Loa Niumeitolu was awarded the "So Love Can Win Fund" by the Akonadi Foundation. This made it possible for us to move our circles online & connect with folx from all over the US including Boriken! We were even able to invite a few exceptional Two Spirits to share their medicine at our circles. This included the one & only Kumu Hina! Below are a few of the events this grant funded.

​2019 Highlights

In November, I was invited to collaborate on a Two Spirit decolonizing/healing project with Loa Niumeitolu. From that "Spirit Root Medicine People/Indigenous Two Spirit Lifeways" emerged & we began holding both public & private circles funded by the Alameda County Behavioral Health Department. From November through the end of 2019, we held many medicine circles including talking circles, drum circles, arts & community gardening. These circles are continuing to be funded through May 2020 & we anticipate that the funding will be extended. For updated info on our circles please check my instagram.  
In September, Karen Lopez, Marcelo Garza & I organized & lead a Two Spirit Danza Ceremonia inspired by the vision of Maestra Chicueyi Coatl. The ceremony was held on September 22nd at the UC Gill Tract Farm/Sogorea Te/Ohlone Territory & was attended by over 100 people. It was a beautiful ceremony filled with many tears of joy. Below photos by Vaschelle Andre of Divine Photography. 1st photo of the altar/momoxli that I designed. 2nd was taken after the Maestra was given her gifts & we embraced. 
8/2019 Leading a QTBIPOC Meditation Circle at Soltree Alchemy in Oakland CA 
7/2019 I was honored to participate in "Celebrating Stories: Two Spirit Art & Performance" at the Oakland Museum of California. Programming by Bay Area American Indian Two Spirits (BAAITS). Below is a short clip of my offering.