The Chingona Gathering Research

---

The Chingona Gathering is more than an event; it is an intentional act of resistance and reclamation. It is part of Serina Payan Hazelwood's PhD research, Reanimating Chingonisma: Creating Indigenous Elsewheres Through Liberatory Praxis, which uses the gathering as a case study to explore how Indigenous Elsewheres can foster healing, empowerment, and cultural renewal. The research also emphasizes collaboration with the ReSisters, who are not only participants but co-creators and partners in the vision for this gathering.

This work is deeply personal to Serina. Like many others, she has felt the weight of being disconnected from her roots and has witnessed the generational harm caused by colonialism. Through her research, Serina seeks to honor the wisdom of the ancestors and create pathways for healing and reconnection.

The Chingona Gathering is her way of exploring what happens when intentionally created spaces help individuals feel safer to be their authentic selves, reconnect with ancestral wisdom, and celebrate cultural identity. This gathering is not just an isolated event—it serves as a model for creating similar spaces in other communities.

Serina wants to be transparent: this is not a study where participants are being "researched." Instead, her method focuses on observing and participating alongside everyone. She is part of the gathering, not as an outsider looking in, but as someone walking this path with the participants.

Here’s what participants can expect:

• Participation: Serina will join in all activities, rituals, and storytelling as a co-creator of this experience.
• Observation: She will reflect on the flow, energy, and collective experiences of the gathering—not individuals.
• Documentation: Stories, themes, and moments from the gathering will shape her dissertation, but no one’s identity or personal details will be included without explicit consent.

The insights from this process will be used to develop tools and frameworks for others to create their own gatherings, rooted in cultural integrity and liberation.

This research is not done in isolation. Serina is guided by and collaborates with the ReSisters, a collective of Chicana/x, Latina/x, and Indigenous women who share a vision of liberation and healing. The ReSisters serve as co-creators, offering wisdom, perspective, and accountability. Their involvement ensures that both the gathering and the research process remain grounded in community values and ancestral respect.

Serina’s Master’s capstone, A Liberatory Praxis Through Indigenous Knowledges, serves as the foundation for her PhD work. At its heart is the storywork of the Table of Power, a metaphorical representation of how colonial systems uphold inequities through the production and control of Indigenous knowledges.

The Table of Power reveals the struggles faced by marginalized voices within hierarchical systems like academia. The pursuit of a seat at this table requires assimilation and compromise, perpetuating harm.

Through her research, Serina has developed a counter-narrative: escaping the Ivory Tower to create Elsewheres. These Elsewheres are intentionally designed spaces where ancestral wisdom, community, and collective liberation are prioritized.

In these sanctuaries, the values of reciprocity, cultural integrity, and empowerment guide the way. This narrative is more than an act of resistance—it is a call to build something radically different, free from the systems that perpetuate harm.

Potential participants can rest assured that their experiences at the Chingona Gathering will be treated with care and respect. Stories shared during the event will remain the participants' own, and no personal details will be included in Serina’s dissertation without permission.

This gathering is a sacred space for connection, healing, and the re-animation of Chingonisma. By participating, individuals are also contributing to a larger vision of cultural reclamation—not just for this event, but as a foundation for similar spaces that can serve other communities.

Ultimately, Serina’s research is about creating a lasting impact beyond the Chingona Gathering. Her work is guided by the hope that the insights gained will inspire others to create their own Elsewheres, fostering spaces of healing, empowerment, and cultural renewal within their own communities.

The Chingona Gathering becomes not just an event, but a part of a growing movement to reclaim spaces of belonging and re-animate their Chingonisma!