crafting where ecologies, research, and ritual arts meet

Welcome! I’m Naya, or Dr. Naya or Dra. Naya as you please. Along with being a partner and auntie, I’m a cultural worker and critical geographer who is deeply grounded in “old ways”: ways that honor ancestors, the earth, and building relationships.

Alongside studying Black plant knowledge and Black ecologies in North and Latin America since 2007, I’ve consulted on cultural strategy, (co)facilitated restorative circles, and guided somatic practices with communities such as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color-led organizations; social and environmental justice initiatives; and fellow creatives. As a former professor, I brought this practitioner experience into the classroom (thank you UC Santa Cruz students for the journey!).

This solo and collaborative work has been nationally-recognized by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (Culture of Health Leaders), the Botanical Society of America, and the American Association of Geographers, among others.

Now, after almost 20 years of bridging research and practice, I’m excited to (co)create in fresh ways at the crossroads of ritual arts, research, and collaborative virtual consulting & speaking.

join me and creative kin (collaborators):

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Interested in collaborative virtual consulting or speaking? Does your initiative center healing, justice, ancestral work, BIPOC-led spaces, or other themes you find on this site? Tell me more! Share about your work, vision, group, or event here.

P.S. This new era is still taking shape. Stay tuned for updates, and wishing you deeply well during these times (and beyond).

Onward,

Naya

Naya Armendarez Jones, PhD | she/her/ella | LinkedIn