Doin a heckin science
#forensics #forensicanthropology #anthropologist #thanatology #Thanatologist

I’ve greatly enjoyed having a platform bed frame! The extra storage is excellent and it’s nice not being able to lose anything under the bed 😅 Purple Mattress has been good to Lily and me!

It’s less a “follow the breadcrumbs” situation and more of a “giant, Vegas-style neon arrow sign pointing directly at what we all expected” kinda deal

Beautiful work, friend! 😍

Our nonprofit’s curanderismo workshop series is off to a beautiful start! Thanks to AZ Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities for funding us and allowing us to offer community education and empowerment for free ❤️‍🔥 Check us out at sonorandesertculture.org - ¡la cultura cura!

Teaching two classes for Phoenix College, TAing a third for ASU, starting my dissertation fieldwork, semifinalist for a Fulbright Fellowship, offering a free monthly curanderismo class for the community…it’s gonna be a BIG year, but it’s all good, exciting, fulfilling work. Pa’rriba y pa’lante!

Haha! Humerus

Occasional reminder that there’s no, “it’s too late, its over” for anthropogenic climate change. Every molecule of CO2 that doesn’t go into the atmosphere makes a difference. Preventing 0.1 degree of warming makes a difference. Every bit of climate resilience we build together makes a difference.

Have you ever been to an American wedding? Where is the vodka?? Where is marinated herring???

Happy New Year, Chag Urim Sameach, and happy night 7, familia! 💙🕎🕯️

De las 12 verdades del mundo, hermano bueno, que me digas 7:
7 días de creación
6 puntos de la estrella
5 libros de la Santa Torá
4 matriarcas
3 patriarcas
2 Tablas de Moisés
1 Casa Santa de Jerusalén, y 1 es Adonai, nuestro Dios.

Chag Urim Sameach! Happy night 6, fam 💙🕎🕯️

De las doce verdades del mundo, hermano bueno, que me digas seis:

Seis puntos de la estrella del Rey David

Cinco libros de la Santa Torá

Cuatro matriarcas

Tres patriarcas

Dos tablas de Moisés

Una Casa Santa de Jerusalén, y Uno es Adonai, Nuestro Dios.

Chag Urim Sameach! Happy night 5, familia 💙🕎🕯️

De las doce verdades del mundo, hermano bueno, que me digas cinco:

Cinco libros de la Santa Torá

Cuatro matriarcas

Tres patriarcas

Dos tablas de Moisés

Una Casa Santa de Jerusalén, y Uno es Adonai, Nuestro Dios.

First volunteer flowers of the season! Alyssum and a gorgeous sunburst cempasúchil - a nice little wink, nod, and blessing from the ancestors 💚

Chag Urim Sameach! Happy night 4, familia 💙🕎🕯️

De las doce verdades del mundo, hermano bueno, que me digas cuatro:

Cuatro matriarcas: Sarah, Rivqah, Rachel, y Le’ah

Tres patriarcas

Dos tablas de Moisés

Una Casa Santa de Jerusalén, y Uno es Adonai, Nuestro Dios.

Shabbat Shalom & Chag Urim Sameach! Happy night 3, familia 💙🕎🕯️

De las doce verdades del mundo, hermano bueno, que me digas tres:

Tres patriarcas: Avraham, Yitzhaq, y Ya’akov

Dos tablas de Moisés

Una Casa Santa de Jerusalén, y Uno es Adonai, Nuestro Dios.

4/4

Thank you to everyone who helped me get here, but especially my loves Dr. Lily Villa and Darryl Pittman - les quiero chingos!! ❤️‍🔥

3/4

…the sciences) becoming more accepting of the validity of Indigenous ways of knowing, including the traditions of Chicano & Mexican curanderismo I carry. It’s especially beautiful and powerful to be part of one of those academic spaces - tlazkamati, notemachtianimeh 🙏🏼

2/4

…the Patiloni Collective, patiloni.org) taught me that we offer ceremony when we’re about to speak on sacred things, and few things are as sacred as death and dying (the subject of my specialty, thanatology). It’s a beautiful and powerful thing to see more and more academic spaces (especially…

1/4

I’m deeply grateful to be part of an academic program where I can openly and proudly wear my curanderismo ceremonial clothing and offer ancestral ceremony as part of my work. My maestras, maestres, and maestros (but especially Doña Patricia Federico of Mi Tierra Healing arts and…

As of this morning I’m officially a Ph.D. Candidate in the ASU School of Transborder Studies! Now on to fieldwork, dissertation writing, and - con el favor del Creador, la Creadora, y los ancestros - becoming the second Dr. Villa of the house 😁📜🎓🪬

Gratitudes in the comments - pa’lante!

Never thought I’d be a dog daddy, but like. What am I supposed to do? Look at this perfect girl 😭

Something beautiful for a fresh start 🪬