Latinos Coast to Coast: Taíno's Talk Plant Medicine

A Conversation with Gerard Artesona, Antonio Cuevas and Cristie Strongman

Wednesday, November 24th from 12:00-1:30pm PST

Join Chacruna for a second Community Forum featuring Latinx perspectives. Our panelists are both Taíno men of Puerto Rican descent, bringing bicoastal perspectives on healing themselves and their communities through reclamation of ancestral ceremonial practices. Antonio and Gerard will discuss their healing work with plant medicine in the United States and abroad, and share stories of connecting with Taíno plant medicine traditions. Moderated by Cristie Strongman.

📷Gerard Artesona is an Oakland based psychotherapist specializing in integration therapy. His therapeutic approach bridges western psychology and entheogenic ritual & practice in order to support his clients on their healing journeys. He has worked in mental health for over 15 years. Outside of his private practice, Gerard currently works in an inpatient hospital setting. Additionally, he conducts a bi-weekly integration group supporting those undergoing ketamine assisted psychotherapy. Gerard has also taught yoga and mindfulness to inmates and has worked in group homes and in community mental health, where he focused on serving San Francisco’s Central American migrant population. Gerard embraced the healing potential of plant medicines, principally ayahuasca (or yage) over 10 years ago. The perspectives surrounding these traditions have inspired and deepened his professional approach and overall understanding of wellbeing. Gerard uses his varied skill set as a retreat cofacilitator at the Ocean Forest Ecolodge in Osa, Costa Rica.

📷Antonio Cuevas is Cacique (chief) of a Yucayeke (an Afro-Taíno village) in New York City. He is a medicine man with a strong Taíno lineage, originally from the island of Puerto Rico. He is best known for his passion for truths and for his hands-on involvement in helping awaken his own community by helping uncover their resilient strengths. Antonio believes in the power of the plant medicine Spirits and the empowering messages they bring to the people of his communities. He highlights the integration of the lessons given by the medicines during ceremonies. He works with people one-on-one, in group settings, social and sacred medicine circles - locally, nation-wide, and internationally, as Antonio leads mystical tours to sacred sites. His soul’s quest is to continue to be a humble and dedicated vessel for the insights and knowledge of Divine sacred medicines in all communities around the globe.

📷Cristie Strongman is a psychotherapist in private practice in New York City. She is a graduate of Columbia University, Teachers College, Counseling Psychology program, on bilingual, and multicultural counseling competency, specifically focused on helping Latinx populations. Before embarking in clinical study, she dedicated her attention to gaining a deeper understanding of the phenomenon of urban shamanism during the first of three Masters at Columbia. She explored some of the ways in which tradition and entheogenic medicine ritual practices are sometimes transplanted into urban space communities; the lens aimed at a better understanding of the cultural mimesis embodied by urban shamans. Cristie is the former Director of Racial and Equity Access Committee for Chacruna’s Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicine. Cristie is a certified psychotherapist in MDMA-assisted therapy by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), where she is a co-therapist in the FDA-approved, Phase 3, MDMA-assisted therapy clinical trials for PTSD. She has a passion for helping historically underserved communities to gain and maintain access to the medicines that can help them heal from trauma. She is also an Associate Trainer and Mentor at Fluence International. Cristie is a classically trained opera singer who enjoys performing new musical compositions in such spaces as Carnegie Hall. She is originally from Colón, Panamá, and currently resides in Brooklyn, NYC.

This talk will be recorded and immediately available for rewatch for all attendees.

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