crafting where ecologies, research, and ritual arts meet

Along with being a partner and auntie, Dr. Naya Jones is a culture worker, critical geographer, and chaplain-in-training who is deeply grounded in “old ways”: ways that honor the interconnectedness of ancestors and the body, the living and the dead, intuition and the earth.

From the moment she Iearned about her great-grandmother’s garden, Naya has been asking Black and BIPOC elders, “What’s in your garden? How do you know this plant? How do you heal?” In geography-speak, she has studied traditional ecological knowledge, food geographies, and Black ecologies since 2007. Alongside academic research, she (co)facilitated practices like ancestral work and meditation with fellow BIPOC and justice organizations for almost 20 years.

Her solo and collaborative work has been nationally-recognized by Culture of Health Leaders (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation), the American Association of Geographers, and the Garden Club of America, among others. Ancestors make this work possible. As a Blaxicana culture worker-scholar with roots in Texas, Northern Mexico, and the U.S. South, Naya draws deep inspiration from ancestors and ancestral spiritual traditions. She continues to learn “old ways” with teachers and elders.

Currently, Naya is reimagining her work and offerings after major life shifts, including the passing of beloved women in her familia and living in these political times. You can find her weaving more ritual into writing and research. As a chaplain-in-training at Starr King School for the Ministry, she is expanding her work to include deeper spiritual support and crisis care. For news and updates . . .

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Read the work: Solo and collaborative pieces on Black geographies, Black ecologies, and more. Visit >>

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Let’s Craft! Interested in a talk or keynote? Do you focus on healing, justice, ancestral work, BIPOC-led spaces, or other themes you find here? Share about your work, vision, group, or event here.