Pagsuyo Facilitator

I was raised and guided by the Rhein River, born to a Karay-a mother and a German father in Mannheim, Germany. My maternal ancestors called the island of Panay their home. My Lola's side is from Antique, and my Lolo's side is from Aklan. I am a descendant of Babaylan Apoy (great-grandfather) Antonino Rubino. Growing up my mother used to assist him in preparing herbal medicines.

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For multiple years I was fortunate to live next to the Amstel River and Amsterdam's many canals, before moving onto the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Peoples (Vancouver BC, Canada) where I was confronted with Indigenous struggles and the devastating effects of colonization in a way I hadn't been in Europe. This humbling and on-going learning was what really lit up my path to decolonize, re-indigenize and re-examine my relationship with our culture. Today I call Sát'atqwa7 (the Fraser River) my neighbour where I build new connections with the lands and peoples of the St'át'imc Nation (Lillooet BC, Canada).

Learning is one of my biggest joys in life and I am lucky to share mine with my partner Jade, our cats, dog, chickens and a rough estimate of a million plants. Nature is my constant source of inspiration, teachings and comfort. Spirituality called to me from a young age and I consciously realized only in the last few years that how I view the world was really Animism all along. I seek to re-awaken dormant knowledge and connections to facilitate healing. A small part of that manifests currently in learning Kinaray-a. I'm a collector and admirer of the weird and beautiful.
Stories have always been an integral part of me and to help bring more stories to life was a driving force why I moved across the ocean and pursued a career in the film industry as a graphic designer. I cannot wait to hear and share stories with all of you.

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