Greetings Taino Woods Community!

We hope this newsletter finds you well and full of the joys of Spring! Our team has been busily working behind the scenes, and we’re excited to share some updates and opportunities with you.

A Surprise in Store 
Our team is putting the finishing touches on something special, so keep your eyes peeled for an announcement in the coming weeks.

Spread the Love… Volunteer! 
A call out for amazing volunteers to join us on the Land. We’re specifically looking for folks who are garden- and tech-savvy. The Land is asking us to move forward on the following projects: gardening, wood splitting, and the tipi set-up. 

For those who are more of the hands-on types, we’re looking for folks who are interested in learning how to use chainsaws, wood splitters, wood chippers, and ATVs for hauling wood. Carpentry and gardening skills are always welcome!

Here are our May Volunteer Weekends: 

• Sunday May 7th (the day after our sweat)
• Friday May 12th through Sunday May 14th
• Sunday May 21st (the day after our sweat)

Our call for volunteers is genuine and significant, as we work towards providing more healing and prayer services and opportunities for gathering.  Please email us at tainowoodsvolunteers@gmail.com with your availability.

And if you’re interested in volunteering more of your time, whether or not you’re able to get to the land, we’re seeking Team Members to join us in our expansion efforts. Email us at tainowoodsny@gmail.com with your interest.

The First Medicine
Now, on to our upcoming Purification Lodges! 

• 5/6/23: Flower Full Moon Purification Lodge
  • *Shout out to last weekend’s drum-birthers! This is a great opportunity to bless your new drum and plant its umbilical cord.*
• 5/20/23: Strawberry New Moon Purification Lodge
  • *Kid Castanet and Maraca Workshop – 15 spots available – Check out the flyer below!* 
• 5/26/23 – 5/29/23: Friends Outside Retreat
  • *Register at: Friends Outside Retreat*
• 6/3/23: Essex County College’s Native American Cultural Experience and Strawberry Full Moon Purification Lodge
  • *10 spots available for this lodge – register early!*
• 6/23/23-6/25/23: Summer Solstice Dance with Behike Miguel Sague
  • *Registration is now open via: tainowoodsny@gmail.com 

We are trying out our new registration process. Registration for our purification lodges will be closing 72 hours prior to the ceremony. For example, on Saturday 5/6/23, the registration will close on 5/3/23. Having a registration deadline provides us with adequate time and space to better prepare the medicine for your ceremony. 

To register for one (or all) of our purification lodges, and if you are interested in staying overnight, email us at sweatlodge@tainowoods.com.  Overnight stays are not a part of the purification lodge ceremony. 

For the Next Generation
We’re also excited to offer some special workshops for kids and teens during our May 20th ceremony! 

A Castanet and Maraca Workshop (with 15 spots available), and a nature walk and yoga workshop during the purification lodge ceremony. Childcare is $25, and the Castanet & Maraca Making morning workshop is $40. To register your child or sign up for the workshop, please email us at sweatlodge@tainowoods.com.

Friends Outside Retreat
Come and join us for the Friends Outside Retreat from May 26th-29th! We’re offering a unique experience of a traditional Taino purification sweat lodge, exploring ancient plant practices, and enjoying some tasty vegan cuisine amidst the beautiful outdoors.

To reserve your spot, simply sign up through Venmo or Cash App by clicking on the following link: Friends Outside Registration. If you have any inquiries or prefer a different payment method, feel free to email at friendsoutsidephl@gmail.com. 

Summer Solstice Dance with Miguel Sague
Exciting news! We are having another dance! This year, we’ll be learning the Guaitiao Dance, which is sure to be an amazing experience. As it is a Solstice event, we will be focusing on the male energies of the universe. Whereas, the Equinoxes are focused on the female energies, which we will focus on in the Fall Dance. The ceremony starts at 9 am on Saturday, but our special guest will join us on Friday. There will be a purification lodge proceeding the dance. 

The day-pass registration donation is $75 per person, or $175 for a family of four. And we strongly encourage you to bring a potluck dish and drinking water to share. 

If you’d like to stay overnight from Friday to Sunday, please email with your interest at: tainowoodsny@gmail.com. To stay for the entire weekend, we are suggesting a $125 donation. Please bring your own tent. 

Calling All Tekinas
We’d like to invite you to join our Tekina Circle, our drumming and song group! We are currently learning Taino, Spanish, and other indigenous songs to bring to our ceremonies, like the Summer Solstice Dance. We meet once a month via Zoom to practice as a group. We’re also in weekly communication through a live chat. This group is completely free, and we’d love for you to join us in this sacred and special community space. 

And last but not least, our PowWow Drum is ready! It’s currently en route from Utah, and we can’t wait to play it together.

If you have any questions about any of these updates or opportunities, please don’t hesitate to reach out at: tainowoodsny@gmail.com. 

Our Drum-BIrthers
A group of amazing people came together this past weekend for a truly unforgettable experience. Led by the wonderful DRUMDOULA Mia, adults and children alike were given the opportunity to birth their very own drums in a beautiful and ancient ceremony. Over 20 of us gathered to create these amazing instruments, and it was truly a life-changing experience for all of us. We can’t wait to receive the post-birthing emails and learn how to properly care for our new drum babies. Thank you, Mia, for creating such a loving and magical space that we will always cherish in our hearts.

In love and gratitude,

Taino Woods Sanctuary Inc.