Waves of Change is an online interview series highlighting the diverse faces and perspectives shaping the environmental justice movement throughout the Great Lakes region.
This month, we spoke with Rebeka Ndosi, founder of the Maji ya Chai Land Sanctuary, a Black-led healing sanctuary just outside of Two Harbors, Minnesota. Ndosi is a healer, teacher, public speaker and community coach.
Listen to the full interview:
Maji ya Chai is the name of a village where most of her Tanzanian family members are from and live now. It translates to “water like tea,” because of the color of a river that flows through the village in northeastern Tanziania, where there is a lot of mineral-rich soil.
“It might sound familiar for anyone who has been up here because that also happens up here in the Iron Range,” Ndosi said. “There are a lot of similarities that really tie these two very different places together.”
Maji ya Chai Land Sanctuary is both an organization and a location, and the forty acres of land is held to be a welcoming and accessible space for folks of color especially.
“I was often the only person of color in the area on the North Shore. I felt watched a lot, because there are a lot of white folks up here who just haven’t been around folks of color and who unfortunately may have held and may still hold the biases that come with people who are different,” Ndosi said. “It really starts with being able to feel safe in a place where you are one of a few.”
Learn more about the featured organizations:
- Read more about Maji Ya Chai Land Sanctuary
- Donate to Maji Ya Chai Land Sanctuary
- Follow Maji Ya Chai Land Sanctuary on Instagram
Catch more news at Great Lakes Now:
Nibi Chronicles: The Gift of Manoomin
Composting, water access and backyard chickens: Detroit’s urban farming evolution
Featured image: Photo courtesy of Rebeka Ndosi
