GROUNDED IN FREEDOM
Exploring the Connection Between Capoeira Angola and the Land
June 21 - 23, 2019
Location: Keerai Farm - 41633 236th Ave SE, Enumclaw, WA 98022
Dates: June 21-23, 2019
Contra Mestre Kamau - FICA Philadelphia
Treinela Myriam - Grupo Nzinga Atlanta
Mestre Themba Mashama - Group Capoeira Ngola Preto Velho Oakland
Mama Ayanna Mashama - New Afrikan Medicine Woman
Shakara Tyler - mother, returning-generation farmer, and community organizer, PhD
Investment
Dates: June 21-23, 2019
- Friday 6/21
- 7pm - Opening Roda (White)
- Saturday 6/22
- 9-11am Capoeira and Farming Workshops (choose one)
- 11am-12pm - Lunch and presentation on history of Black Farming in America - Shakara Tyler
- 12-3pm - Open space community led workshops
- 3-5pm - Capoeira and Farming Workshops (choose one)
- 6-9pm - Party
- Sunday 6/23
- 9-11am - Panel Discussion on Connecting with the Land and Healing
- 11am - Lunch
- 12-3pm - Closing Roda
- This is a family friendly event - supervised kids track will be happening throughout the event
Contra Mestre Kamau - FICA Philadelphia
Treinela Myriam - Grupo Nzinga Atlanta
Mestre Themba Mashama - Group Capoeira Ngola Preto Velho Oakland
Mama Ayanna Mashama - New Afrikan Medicine Woman
Shakara Tyler - mother, returning-generation farmer, and community organizer, PhD
Investment
- Weekend package: sliding scale $125 - $200 -includes meals, workshops, and on site camping
- Group Deal of 6+: $100 each (registration must be purchased together)
- One Day (Sat or Sun): sliding scale $45-65
- No one will be turned away for lack of payment, please reach out to discuss payment options
- Paypal (ficaseattlecapoeira@gmail.com)
- Check made out to ICAF Seattle sent to PO Box 14273, Seattle, Wa 98114
Register Here
Bios
Contra Mestre Kamau Blakney
Kamau is one of the founding members of FICA Philadelphia- the first Capoeira Angola organization in Philadelphia. Kamau has considered Capoeira Angola a way of life for almost twenty-five years and has received invaluable training primarily from his teacher Mestre Cobra Mansa and additional study and support from Mestre Valmir Damasceno while living in Salvador, Bahia for several years. Currently, Kamau teaches an introductory Capoeira Angola course for Temple University as well as elective programing for Preschool and K-12 youth throughout the Philadelphia area. Additionally, Kamau has more than twenty years of experience as an educator and holds a Masters Degree in Special Education.
As Capoeira Angola synthesizes movement, rhythm, and African-Brazilian history into an artistic form of self-expression, it serves as a unique tool that promotes harmony with others and allows for individual growth. In this effort, Kamau frequently leads demonstrations and workshops, including his group’s participation in the world renowned Odunde African Street Festival for the past twenty years. Contra Mestre Kamau aims to continually provide local communities authentic access to the art form of Capoeira Angola.
Kamau is one of the founding members of FICA Philadelphia- the first Capoeira Angola organization in Philadelphia. Kamau has considered Capoeira Angola a way of life for almost twenty-five years and has received invaluable training primarily from his teacher Mestre Cobra Mansa and additional study and support from Mestre Valmir Damasceno while living in Salvador, Bahia for several years. Currently, Kamau teaches an introductory Capoeira Angola course for Temple University as well as elective programing for Preschool and K-12 youth throughout the Philadelphia area. Additionally, Kamau has more than twenty years of experience as an educator and holds a Masters Degree in Special Education.
As Capoeira Angola synthesizes movement, rhythm, and African-Brazilian history into an artistic form of self-expression, it serves as a unique tool that promotes harmony with others and allows for individual growth. In this effort, Kamau frequently leads demonstrations and workshops, including his group’s participation in the world renowned Odunde African Street Festival for the past twenty years. Contra Mestre Kamau aims to continually provide local communities authentic access to the art form of Capoeira Angola.
Treinela Myriam Dormer
Myriam is from Cameroon, West Africa and was raised in a small town in the US mid-west. She was first introduced to Capoeira Angola in 1997 in Indiana. Soon after, she learned Portuguese and travelled to Brazil in what became a transformational journey into the African Diaspora. She is now a Treinela for Grupo Nzinga de Capoeira Angola and enjoys the responsibility of coordinating activities for Grupo Nzinga Atlanta. She is a mother of two children and is actively involved in the Atlanta community.
Professionally, Myriam serves as the Community Engagement Program Specialist for The Nature Conservancy’s North America Cities Network. In this role, she works within this network to inform, co-develop and implement natural solutions and conservation as essential components of healthy, just and climate-resilient cities. Previously, as the Urban Conservation Director in Georgia, she led the implementation of a community-centered forest conservation program in Atlanta. She has also worked as a food security manager, youth programs manager for farm to school, curriculum specialist and art teacher.
Myriam is from Cameroon, West Africa and was raised in a small town in the US mid-west. She was first introduced to Capoeira Angola in 1997 in Indiana. Soon after, she learned Portuguese and travelled to Brazil in what became a transformational journey into the African Diaspora. She is now a Treinela for Grupo Nzinga de Capoeira Angola and enjoys the responsibility of coordinating activities for Grupo Nzinga Atlanta. She is a mother of two children and is actively involved in the Atlanta community.
Professionally, Myriam serves as the Community Engagement Program Specialist for The Nature Conservancy’s North America Cities Network. In this role, she works within this network to inform, co-develop and implement natural solutions and conservation as essential components of healthy, just and climate-resilient cities. Previously, as the Urban Conservation Director in Georgia, she led the implementation of a community-centered forest conservation program in Atlanta. She has also worked as a food security manager, youth programs manager for farm to school, curriculum specialist and art teacher.
Shakara Tyler
Shakara is a mother, returning-generation farmer and community organizer. She received her PhD from Michigan State University studying agroeoclogical education and Black agrarianism in the Department of Community Sustainability. Her life praxis is rooted in participatory and decolonial research methodologies and community-centered pedagogies in grassroots movement building. She is a member of the Black Dirt Farm Collective in Maryland and a board member of the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network (DBCFSN) and Detroit People’s Food Co-op. She works with and in communities to explore agroeoclogical and Afroecoloigcal pedagogies as artistic tools in building community self-determination and anticolonial realities.
Shakara is a mother, returning-generation farmer and community organizer. She received her PhD from Michigan State University studying agroeoclogical education and Black agrarianism in the Department of Community Sustainability. Her life praxis is rooted in participatory and decolonial research methodologies and community-centered pedagogies in grassroots movement building. She is a member of the Black Dirt Farm Collective in Maryland and a board member of the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network (DBCFSN) and Detroit People’s Food Co-op. She works with and in communities to explore agroeoclogical and Afroecoloigcal pedagogies as artistic tools in building community self-determination and anticolonial realities.
Mestre Themba Mashama
Mestre Themba Mashama grew up in San Francisco and is Mestre and founder of Group Capoeira Ngola Preto Velho and Founding member of Kongo Ngola Kapoeira Institute (KNKI). Mestre Themba has studied traditional lineages of Capoeira for over 40 years. He began his studies in Capoeira in 1979 with Mestre Acordeon and soon after went to Brazil to study Capoeira where he immersed himself in the traditional art of Capoeira Ngola. He considers the teachings of Mestre Moraes and Mestre Cobra Mansa to be his gateway to Capoeira. Mestre Themba is a naturopathic and movement educator with a background in iridology, herbology and massage therapy. He understands that food is our medicine and the best healer is oneself.
Mestre Themba Mashama grew up in San Francisco and is Mestre and founder of Group Capoeira Ngola Preto Velho and Founding member of Kongo Ngola Kapoeira Institute (KNKI). Mestre Themba has studied traditional lineages of Capoeira for over 40 years. He began his studies in Capoeira in 1979 with Mestre Acordeon and soon after went to Brazil to study Capoeira where he immersed himself in the traditional art of Capoeira Ngola. He considers the teachings of Mestre Moraes and Mestre Cobra Mansa to be his gateway to Capoeira. Mestre Themba is a naturopathic and movement educator with a background in iridology, herbology and massage therapy. He understands that food is our medicine and the best healer is oneself.
Mama Ayanna Mashama, MS
“Mama” Ayanna currently holds a Master of Science degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine with an emphasis on Holistic Health. She is a natural health, social justice, human rights activist, organizer and educator. As a New Afrikan Medicine Woman, she offers herself to community as a leader of community ceremony, a wellness specialist, acupuncture/acupressure therapist, herbalist, and aromatherapist. She is currently Director of Healthy Black Families, Inc., Strategic Advisor and founding member of the Bay Area Chapter of the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, co-founder of the Black Women’s Health and Healing Conferences, Retreats and Sisters Circles, and the Black August Movement. She knows that our resistance is sacred work. She understands that our physical, mental, spiritual, environmental and financial well being are all intersected and can be healthfully integrated. She is clear that the social determinants of health must play a part in all our organizing strategies, and that a healthy and harmonious community is a more proactive, productive, peaceful and powerful community. Mama Ayanna actively works with community to lead ceremony, healing and spiritual empowerment circles and to open the way for community celebrations, events, resistance actions and demonstrations.
“Mama” Ayanna currently holds a Master of Science degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine with an emphasis on Holistic Health. She is a natural health, social justice, human rights activist, organizer and educator. As a New Afrikan Medicine Woman, she offers herself to community as a leader of community ceremony, a wellness specialist, acupuncture/acupressure therapist, herbalist, and aromatherapist. She is currently Director of Healthy Black Families, Inc., Strategic Advisor and founding member of the Bay Area Chapter of the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, co-founder of the Black Women’s Health and Healing Conferences, Retreats and Sisters Circles, and the Black August Movement. She knows that our resistance is sacred work. She understands that our physical, mental, spiritual, environmental and financial well being are all intersected and can be healthfully integrated. She is clear that the social determinants of health must play a part in all our organizing strategies, and that a healthy and harmonious community is a more proactive, productive, peaceful and powerful community. Mama Ayanna actively works with community to lead ceremony, healing and spiritual empowerment circles and to open the way for community celebrations, events, resistance actions and demonstrations.
Keerai Farm
We are building Keerai Farm as a POC and family-centered space, where folks can come to feel comfortable on the land and connect to nature, explore culture through food, medicine, and nature, and nourish and heal. We try to grow food with the least harm to the earth, and we focus on growing food that is important to many different cultures. We are making this space available for farmers who have previously lost access to land through colonial violence, forced migration, or institutional racism. We create space for people to celebrate and maintain culture, earn income, and build community.
We are building Keerai Farm as a POC and family-centered space, where folks can come to feel comfortable on the land and connect to nature, explore culture through food, medicine, and nature, and nourish and heal. We try to grow food with the least harm to the earth, and we focus on growing food that is important to many different cultures. We are making this space available for farmers who have previously lost access to land through colonial violence, forced migration, or institutional racism. We create space for people to celebrate and maintain culture, earn income, and build community.
