about
photo by Oliver Vy NguyenGrowing along the shores of Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa, under Mt. Tahoma, near the Duwamish River, and in valleys between Chumash and Tongva mountains, Rafael/a Luna-Pizano (he/him/siya) is a bakla/trans descendant of Ilocano, Visaya, Xicana, and Chiricahua-Apache peoples. Creating and gathering healing practices that center TBIPOC (trans, black-indigenous, people of color) liberation, Rafael/a has offered bodywork and reproductive care to his communities for 15 years, while cultivating a creative research practice that is grounded in his experience of Indigenous Knowledge and ceremonies. After completing his doctorate at the University of Waikato (Aotearoa-NZ), with a focus on embodied Indigi-trans liberation, he is teaching and creating resources to protect and uplift lineages of Two Spirit, trans, non-binary and gender-diverse people everywhere.