Rafael/a Luna-Pizano

soundbodysovereignstories









Rafael/a’s foundations are interdisciplinary, weaving a musical background with film, poetry and movement to create ritual art.  Graduating with a bachelors from the USC Thornton School of Music, Rafael/a pursued a masters through the Native Voices program at the University of Washington, and finally received his doctorate in Indigenous and Māori Studies from the University of Waikato (Aotearoa-NZ) in 2023.  His creative practice PhD, entitled “Listening at Dawn: Trans* Storywork for All My Relations,” is the recipient of the Koko Kairangi University of Waikato Prize for Best Doctoral Thesis.  All of his thesis work has focused on the liberatory practices of TBIPOC communities that bring us home to body, land and water.  He is currently working on a poetry trilogy that is born from his doctoral thesis, bringing trans freedom strategies from his collaborative research beyond academia and back to his communities.  
kei te hapū ia
by rafael/a luna-pizano


he longed to remember home –

the taste and scent of strange wood

that fit.         comfort

between his tongue and teeth



his elders could no longer sing the calls of home –

but they watched him climb and retrieve

droplets.     soothe their ears

        waiporoporo

                            bituon

        ulan

                            cintli

        chalchihuitl-



he returned to the puna he couldn’t recognize

asked for mercy.

and               they asked for ūkaipō.



he carefully cut each of his breasts

separation of rest

and folded them into surrounding clay.

the puna sparkled in reply

and told him to return on a forgotten day.



many suns later, kei te hapū ia.

he returned to the puna who knew the way of stars.

with waxing belly, he squatted beside their reflection,

cupped wai-rangi to his pito and sang a welcome

song home.





                                /                   //                               /                   //                   /

                          /                     /                                 //                 /                   /

                                                                       

\                   \                               \



                                                           \     \\         \                                         \

writing

 doctoral thesis 


publications
Luna-Pizano, R. (2023). Listening at dawn: Trans* storywork for all my relations. [Doctoral dissertation, University of Waikato]. UoW Research Commons. https://hdl.handle.net/10289/16003

Luna-Pizano, R. (2023). Unknown devotions: Trans* & Indigena freedom dance. In Pihama, L. and Green, A. (Ed.), Honoring Our Ancestors. Wellington: Te Herenga Waka University Press.
book link

online zine