Cihuapactli Collective

We are so excited for this year’s 7th Annual Ancestral Womb Wellness Gathering! This year, it will be a 2 day experience hosted at historic Warehouse 215 in Downtown Phoenix. Take a look below for more details. We look forward to seeing you!

Location: Warehouse 215 - 215 E Grant St, Phoenix, AZ 85004

When: Saturday February 3rd & Sunday February 4th 2024

Time: 9:00am-6:00pm

All are welcome to this LGBTQI inclusive gathering that centers the voices and experiences of Black, Indigenous People of Color.

This year our theme is Honoring our Ancestors through the Land.

Our Ancestral Womb Wellness Gatherings were birthed out of wanting to heal one another first, and then sharing with others. Our gatherings honor Indigenous knowledge keepers to decolonize, reclaim, and reaffirm Indigenous teachings that heal our families.

Day 1 will honor the ancestors throughout the diaspora through song, dance, and prayer.

Day 2 focuses on our community mental health program titled Tonalpahqui. Learn about our ancestral ways of balancing our energies that center Indigenous spirituality with psychological support and integrative wellness.

Speakers, Presenters and Healers

Food & Refreshments

Food and refreshments this year will be provided by A Touch of Culture.

Interpretation

Spanish and English interpretation will be provided throughout the gathering by Alejandra and Felipa Lerma. They have a beautiful statement that we would love to share.

Language justice includes being able to communicate, speak, understand, and be understood in the language in which we feel most comfortable. We recognize that not all of our languages can be present, due to different causes of displacement and the ongoing effects of colonization. We honor these Native languages, including sign languages, giving them this space and recognizing that we are all on the stolen and unceded lands of Native Nations.

Language justice takes all of us! For everyone present today, you can help by speaking at a moderate pace, loudly, and clearly.

Please pause in between speakers, as one person finishes talking and another starts, interpreters are still interpreting for the first person. 

If we need you to pause or speak more slowly or loudly we’ll let you know. Don’t suffer in silence! If you have a problem let us know please.

Childcare

Childcare will be provided throughout the gathering. There will be activities for children to participate in. Caregivers with infants will also have a designated room if needed to step away for body feeding, changing, resting, and taking care of any other needs. Children are always welcome in our general seating space. These spaces are to provide extra support for caregivers and their needs.

Parking

There is a designated parking area for vendors, staff, and volunteers. A placard is needed to enter the designated lot. Look for a canopy and signage with our CC logo to receive your placard on Feb. 3rd and 4th. The lot is on the East side (3rd Street) of the building along with the entrance to the facility.

General Admission or Guest parking is off of Grant St.

Volunteering

We greatly appreciate when community is involved. We are in need of support on the following dates for the following tasks:

Vendors

We are so excited to have our local community vend their beautiful gifts and items at the gathering. Check below to see who will be there.

Free Market & Community Info

There will be a Free Market located on the west wall in the main event space. We will be giving away mutual aid items like baby clothes, diapers and baby gear from our Collective Birth Fund.

American Family Institute will be providing free books for kids, and Chispa Arizona & Respect Great Bend of the Gila will be sharing information about how they are protecting our native lands.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will there be a livestream?

This year we are committing to focus on an in person experience only, with the intent that we will share much of the same knowledge throughout the year through various workshops.

Will there be parking?

Yes! There will be free general admission parking and a designated lot for volunteers, staff, and presenters. You will need a placard to enter the designated lot.

What are your Covid protocols?

We will provide masks for whoever would like to wear one during the gathering. Sanitizers will be available throughout the space.

Can men attend the Womb Wellness Gathering?

Of course! This is a space for the entire family and for all types of families. We began as a birthwork organization, hence the Ancestral Womb Wellness Gathering title. The womb also has other connotations. Read the next section if you would like to learn more. Also, check out our website to see how we have grown over the years. All are welcome.

Is it okay to only attend a portion of the event?

Absolutely. We would love it if you could stay for the entire event, but please take care of your needs.

If you have more questions we did not answer please email us at enjolie@cihuapactlicollective.org

About the word Womb

Cihuapactli Collective is committed to making our annual gathering a place where two-spirit, queer, transmen, transwomxn, and gender-non-confirming individuals, parents, and families are welcomed. We recognize that our collective has historically been a cis-gender collective of hetero and queer womxn of color. We also recognize we have centered gender and reproductive words like “womb.” Since our inception, we have deeply valued the opportunity to learn and grow with the community that now surrounds us. Last year’s gathering highlighted the need to engage in critical conversations and reflection about the use of “womb” in our gathering’s name. After several community discussions this year, we have decided that the name of the gathering will remain the same as we engage in further dialogue. We believe we still have a lot to learn from the womb as our ceremonial center, as our collective temazcalli. Overall, we hope that this gathering creates a safe space for shared wisdom, wellness, and rest. We appreciate your continued support and feedback.

photo & video release

Photography and video will be captured at the event. All guests, vendors, volunteers, and staff authorize The Cihuapactli Collective to take, use, and print photographs/videos and any other form of media material for educational, informational, and promotional purposes. Images/videos can be used and are NOT limited to, publications and newsletters, newspaper articles, advertising material, web listings, websites, etc. If you do not wish to be published in pictures or videos, you will be offered a sticker to remove your likeness from the footage. Please make sure that your sticker is visible.