Being well is a birth rite. Yet many of us, are suffering from ailments that could be addressed by making changes to our way of life, lifestyle. Within a socio-economic cultural and historical-political perspective, people of color in particular, still don’t have access to proper health care, suitable living spaces, access to clean water or food that is free of genetically modified organisms; our suffering is impacted by a high stress lifestyle and worry over having sufficient basic needs. Although we are in the age of technology and a touch of our fingers we have access to massive amounts of information. Still, many of us are suffering with mental health challenges like anxiety and depression, feelings of loneliness and isolation, trauma and historical trauma, addictions, substance abuse, violence and abuse; we are seeing a rise in suicide of our youth and elder communities; physical ailments are on the rise with people suffering from auto-immune disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity. The imbalance and disconnection from Mother Earth is obvious. We are all impacted at some level.

The discrepancies in wellness are clear. The people most impacted by dis-ease are Black, Indigenous, People of Color, women and our elders. This was particularly highlighted during the pandemic and we continue to see women’s rites/rights over our bodies challenged. BIPOC communities are over-represented in prisons and access to culturally sensitive and appropriate care is still a problem in the United States. How do we address wellness from a nature based perspective that is sustainable and regenerative for the land, the water, the people and ALL its inhabitants?