Art, in all its forms, has long been a part of healing practices in Indigenous cultures worldwide. The steady beat of the drum mirrors the heartbeat of a mother, instilling a sense of safety and regulation in a child—an instinctive rhythm that continues throughout life. Dance, whether performed in ceremonies, cultural gatherings, or as a form of personal expression, grounds us in our bodies and connects us to our homelands, even when we are far from them.

Stories, passed from generation to generation or shared by those we adopt as teachers, shape our understanding of the world, the cosmos, and our responsibilities as caretakers of the earth. The scent of medicines, whether cooked for nourishment or burned to cleanse and protect, brings us closer to our ancestors. Voices lifted in song, poetry, storytelling, and prayer connect us not only to one another but also to the essence of who we are.

To separate art from this interconnected circle of cultural existence is to reinforce the colonial construct of individualism and commodification. To truly understand art, one must recognize its deep ties to lineage, spirit, and culture—connections that persist regardless of how long a person has lived in diaspora or if they were born into it. Our ancestral memory lives within us, carried in every heartbeat, in every pulse of blood that sustains us.

Embedded in this innate knowledge are the cycles of nature—patterns dictated by the growth of plants, the migration of animals, and the alignment of the cosmos. These rhythms guided traditional practices, often conveyed through stories and music, especially in times of laying fallow the communities or families would share stories and music. Many who have been displaced by colonialism and assimilation, struggle to reconnect with this ancestral wisdom, leaving them feeling lost. Yet, through collective artistic expression, the knowledge held within the body can be awakened, allowing these connections to be reclaimed and decolonized.