I am a thick bodied, full cheeks, big smiling, dreaming, watery eyed piscean gender bending queer with dirt on my hands + scratched glasses.

I am a 3rd generation settler of mixed eastern European + Sicilian ancestry living on occupied Tiwa/Tewa land in so- called Albuquerque, NM.

Much of how I orient myself to place, identity, land, spirit, and politics is deeply guided by my loving relationship with rivers, lakes, and other water kin. They have taught me about secure attachment, love, life, death, truth, healing, liberation, and justice.

My experience has been guided by my grief, love, and longing. It has been centered around community, personal relationships, accompaniment, social justice, nature connection, and trauma healing.

Things that I really love these days are growing plants, sitting in pools of water, walking my dog, working with goats, and making things!

I love tending my dream world, poetry and writing. I love learning about the ecology of relaitonships; about the body, trauma, attachement, grief, ritual, healing, plants, and really just about life. and how to be a human! and of course hidetanning!

If your interested in tanning hides or having me tan your precious hides or doing it with me or ,playing around, getting your hands dirty, perhaps cry together, be outside, collectively tend to our grief, our joy, dreams + wisdom, talk about plants or just want beautifully ritually made items to support me in being able to survive stage capitalism—- thank you so much for the support.

I have been hide-tanning for 4 years now, and have been learning through doing and with the loving guidance of Mara Cur + the Mentors in an online hide tanning program with FERN + ROE.

I would identify as a beginner hide tanner developing a lifelong commitment of apprenticeship to the craft.

I am committed to honoring this practice in right size and relationship to peoples and place as a settler on stolen land.

At this moment that is looking like learning methods of hide tanning practiced through my ancestral lineages. Learning about what animals my ancestors tended to, the stories they told, and the songs they may have sung. This is a process and not all of what I seek seems accessible in the physical realm and so this is a slow and intentional process of grief and remembering.

I am committed to using natural and regionally appropriate materials and methods. Using no harmful chemicals in the process, sourcing hides in ethical ways, and caring for all parts of the process. And work towards creating a business model that is rooted in relationship and reciprocity.

LOCATED IN THE SOUTH VALLEY @ CHISPAS FARM

Most of the tanning happens here at Chispas, in what we call the back woods!

The frames and fleshing beams are supported by the older elm trees on the property surrounded by 4 acres of veggies, sunflowers, amaranth, a goatherd, a flock of sheep, 100 chickens, rabbits, and prolly more creatures to come!

The vibrant life around the tannery is supported by the loving care of myself, my partner (the head farmer ;) + the farm crew.