Healing Through Dance and Movement with Migrant Farm Workers Heryka Miranda, B.A. Submitted for the completion of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Applied Health Sciences (Health and Physical Education) Faculty of Applied Health Sciences Brock University St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada © July 2017 I dedicate this manuscript to the migrant farm workers of the Niagara Region. ii Abstract Coming to work on Canadian farms for 8-to-ten months out of the year leaves migrant farm workers feeling lonely and homesick. The precariousness that is produced by employment programs under the Canadian Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) such as the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP) leaves migrant farm workers vulnerable to exploitation and isolation in their host rural communities. Mexican and Guatemalan migrant farm workers are further isolated due to language barriers. To address these problems, this research is based upon Dance and Movement Therapy (DMT), which is founded on the fundamental premise that, through dance, individuals both relate to the community they are part of on a large or smaller scale, and are simultaneously able to express their own impulses and needs within that group. This phenomenological study explored the experiences in the Niagara Region of Mexican and Guatemalan migrant farm workers’ participation in experiential ‘dance for relaxation’ community arts sessions. Approaches used in the sessions were grounded in DMT and a movement-based, expressive arts therapy (MBEAT) framework. In post-session verbal reflections using a focus group style of inquiry and individual interviews, migrant farm workers provided evidence regarding the effectiveness of DMT and MBEAT. Keywords: Migrant farm workers, phenomenology, dance/movement therapy, movement-based, expressive arts therapy; expressive arts therapies iii Acknowledgements I would like to extend my gratitude to the following individuals for their tremendous support throughout my graduate school experience. It took a village! FAMILIA – Gratitude to my entire familia for your encouragement and support! To my beloved Madre, I challenge myself to accomplish what I think is impossible because of your sacrifices and your belief in my capacity to break through old thoughts and patterns. Our liberation from the legacies of colonization is manifested through our stories, our dances and our songs. Me inspiras y te adoro para siempre mama! To my beloved partner Diego Mendez, your love, generosity, technical expertise and considerable skill in patience throughout my graduate student experience were sacred gifts to my heart and spirit. Gracias por siempre estar a mi lado! To my furry friend Elsie (dog), your demands on snack and play breaks were gifts from the heavens. To my winged friend Paco (bird), your capacity to fly freely in the office was a reminder that we are all meant to soar. MIGRANT WORKERS – Migrant farm workers that I met from Mexico, Guatemala, Jamaica and St. Lucia, thank you for welcoming me into your communities and for trusting me with your stories and life experiences. You are such a valuable part of our Canadian society. To the Mexican and Guatemalan participants that took part in the study, you have touched my life profoundly. Thank you for constantly reminding me about the beauty, kindness and humility that exists in our cultures. Somos familia! Your generosity, faith and gratitude are unforgettable gifts. To Luis, The Sunflower Man, thank you hermano for teaching me about the medicine that comes from the sun rises and sun sets, the sunflowers, and the rain. Thank you for bringing me to your sunflower farm and iv for agreeing to dance her dances with me. I am lost for words for the experiences that we had together and for the opportunities that opened up for us because of our dance collaboration. Dance and movement is powerful beyond belief and so are you, my dear friend. COMMITTEE – I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to my committee members, for their expertise and guidance: To my supervisor, Dr. Nancy Francis, this graduate student experience was full of challenges and opportunities, and you kept me moving along. I am grateful for your kindness, sensitivity and compassionate heart as you guided me through the research process. I am so grateful that you listened to your inner muse when you took me under your wings. Dr. Sue Spearey, thank you for creating spaces in academia to honour the wisdom of artists! Meeting you and being in your ‘Social Justice and the Arts’ course was a turning point in my graduate school experience. Dr. Tim Fletcher, thank you for your patience and for asking me to take a stand as a researcher that took me on quite a quest to find an answer. External examiner Dr. Karyn Recollet, an honour to have you join the final stretch of the research process. Thank you ALL for your generous feedback in my writing and for helping me FINISH! MIGRANT WORKER ADVOCATES – Special thanks to Evelyn Encalada, mi querida rebelde con corazon de colibri, for taking me to my first farm visit and for introducing me to the migrant workers as the “woman that does healing with dance.” This study would not have been possible without your formal introductions and blessings. To Padre Javier, from the first moment we met, you trusted me because you sensed a familiar interest and urgency in bringing visibility and meaningful relationships to the v lives of migrant farm workers through music, dance and social integration programs. Thank you for allowing me to accompany you on farm visits and for providing me with your blessings and unconditional support. Farrah Miranda, thank you for believing in me and for commissioning me to ‘The Fruit Stand’ project with migrant workers to continue to share the power of land dancing. INDIGENOUS MENTORS – Rulan Tangen, thank you for passing down teachings on how to listen deeply to the earth so that I too can dance her dances and share the magic of land dancing with The Sunflower Man. Thank you Marrie Mumford for sharing your knowledge on Indigenous methodologies and Cara Mumford for inviting me to be part of the Bizaanbakweg dance/film collective. FILMMAKERS – Cathy Maytenyi, Monica Gutierrez, and Esery Mondesir, I never expected that my research would be captured on film. Thank you for your interest and excitement to share The Sunflower Man’s story through film. FRIENDS – Thank you to Lianne Fisher, Karin Perry and Snezana Ratcovic. Time spent with each of you learning about the research and academic writing process was instrumental. Dr. Ian Ritchie, pleasure to have you chair my defence. To Stephanie Mayell, thank you for inviting me to present my preliminary findings at the Society for Applied Anthropology’s annual conference in Vancouver, BC. Your encouragement and enthusiasm for my study provided me with a new sense of confidence. To Jean Lilliquest, my high school English teacher, many thanks for your grammar police expertise. To my soul sister, Mahlia Joyce, thank you for accompanying me in this journey from afar. Te quiero mucho hermana de mi alma! Mayahuel Tecozautla, thank you for your written and verbal words of encouragement, compassion and friendship. Maria Firmino-Castillo, your vi brilliant words and resources gave me strength and determination. To Mark Williams, thank you for lifting me up with your words and for reminding me to keep true to myself. To Ashley Johnson and Jenna Johnston, thank you for opening time and space to share your own personal journey as graduate students. Thank you for your presence at my thesis defence Callie Long, Kai Lai, Norma Araiza, Coman Poon, Maria Montejo, Jason Cook, Shannon Kitchings, Jodielynn Harrison, and Kylar Amana Raelynn John-Harrison. Candace Couse, so much gratitude for opening your home and hosting a lovely celebration in your magical garden after my defence. vii Prologue: The Sunflower Man The relationship between Mexican migrant farm worker, Juan “Luis” Mendoza de La Cruz and myself is essential information for my study, but it was not the study. An understanding of this relationship provides the reader with the context of my research and grounds the information in the introduction of how I situate myself as a researcher. I chose to share details about my collaboration with “Luis1” in co-creating The Sunflower Man dance piece in this prologue to emphasize its direct influence on the entire study. “A prologue is a function of narrative writing that signifies a prelude. It encompasses essential information for the reader to make sense of the story to follow” (Kovac, 2012, p. 3). My collaboration with Luis started before I received approval from the Brock University Research and Ethics Board, which is why Luis has no pseudonym. Due to performing The Sunflower Man at various venues, he has been made public through several media events and publications. Developing a close relationship with Luis provided me with significant cultural knowledge and greater understanding into the intricate lives of migrant farm workers. Meeting Luis Luis has worked in the flower industry in the Niagara region for nine years and has been coming to Canada to work for a total of 27 years. I met Luis at two introductory dance sessions that I facilitated at an Anglican church in the Niagara Region before recruiting participants for my masters research study. 1 As a form of member checking and being conscious of the rights of the people with whom I work, Luis has read this piece and has given verbal permission for me to use it here. viii At the age of 50, Luis was praying to God for something new to come into his life that would help him regain a sense of hope. He was tired of being invisible and became very intrigued by the idea of telling stories through the body and expressing emotions and feelings without using words.