Strawberry Letter 23

Violet Luxton is a Xicanix-Indigenous artist, musician and activist. A dyed-in-the-wool Southern Californian, she is deeply engaged in local movements for ecological and social justice, and is passionate about partnering with native communities across the region to reclaim and sustain indigenous knowledge and culture. Violet attended Pitzer College in Claremont, California, where she pioneered an independent major in Integrative Psychology. The program ignited her fascination for exploring creativity through technology - one of her favorite projects involved using computer science tools to measure the neurological impact of music. Since graduating in 2011, she has continued to synthesize her work in practices such as art making, gardening and meditation, linking disciplines that are too often siloed apart from each other as a way to find new paths toward healing and empowerment. Her current work explores meta-materials for music mediation technology and gestural computing for augmented reality. With a love for music that borders on obsession, Violet is currently sharpening her skills as a performer and creator. The experience has driven her to challenge the Eurocentrism and elitism that still dominate music education. Violet’s vision? A new kind of academy where indigenous knowledge is just as valued as “classical” texts, and where students challenge old dogmas to redefine “beauty” and “harmony” on their own terms. Violet is also a dedicated yogi and a certified instructor in Kundalini Yoga. She has spent over a decade teaching yoga and meditation at college campuses, fitness studios, music festivals, and even prisons, where she shares techniques to promote health and wholeness. Educators and nonprofits often seek out her skills for their programming, and she has helped students, employees and soul seekers from all backgrounds to reduce stress, enhance awareness and deepen their compassion. She currently manages the "decolonial dimensions" meditation group where Native and Non-Native allies come together weekly and use mindfulness to envision a world without colonization for the purpose of healing our past, present, and future selves. Raised in a family with a strong legacy of Chicano activism, Violet was shaped by the stories of her parents, aunts and grandparents who battled against racism during the student movements of the 60s and 70s. Her experiences as an indigenous woman have also deepened her resolve to dismantle oppression in all forms. She has campaigned for worker and immigrant rights throughout California, and is currently active in local campaigns against environmental racism and pollution. She also implemented a STEM tutoring program for indigenous youth through Pitzer and Harvey Mudd College and spent seven years working for the Native Youth to College Program, a two week culturally immersive college-prep program for Native American high school students as a mentor, coordinator, assistant director and most currently a member of the NY2C Advisory Board. She currently works at Claremont Graduate University as a Student Support Specialist for the Institute of Mathematical Sciences and The Center for Information Systems and Technology. When she isn’t busy creating online communities for digital feminists, or forging collaborations with her favorite artists, Violet loves exploring the mountains and canyons of Southern California, and the homelands of her ancestors—regions she’s determined to defend from development and exploitation.” https://www.instagram.com/vluxtin/?hl=en https://www.facebook.com/violet.luxton http://scifiyogini.blogspot.com/ https://soundcloud.com/violet-luxton https://www.yogatrail.com/teacher/violet-luxton-4278643 View all posts by violetvision11