THE

SANKOFA

INFANT MENTAL HEALTH

HISTORY

PROJECT

Trailer for

Sankofa: Land. Root. Seed. Culture. Community

Part 1 of our 4 part series.

Our first film, Sankofa: Land. Root. Seed. Culture. Community., sets the stage for our Sankofa IMH History Project™ and its film series. Featuring interviews with IMH professionals and our project’s Steering Collective, the film explores cultural frameworks and perspectives that challenge and revitalize our understanding of healing and the infant mental health field.

Sankofa Storytellers

Storyteller

1 Janina E. Fariñas, Ph.D., Psy., LPC

CEO & Founder, La Cocina

Hija de Joaquín Fariñas and Nora Isabel Vanegas. Proud granddaughter of Lola Cordoba and Agustin Vanegas. Latina immigrant from her beloved El Salvador.

Storyteller

2 Marva L. Lewis, Ph.D., IMH-E®

Infant Mental Health Mentor-Research/Faculty; Associate Professor, Tulane University

Proud direct descendent of enslaved Africans who survived chattel slavery in the USA. Daughter of Ward & Martha Lewis of Royal Oak Twp. Michigan, part of the Great Migration from the South.

Storyteller

3 Haruko Watanabe, MA, LMHC, IMH-E®

Clinical Director, Cooper House & Washington State Trainer in Child-Parent Psychotherapy

Descendant of artists, poets and healers and ancestors in Japan. Facilitators of healing-centered practices.

Storyteller

4 Hisako Watanabe, M.D., Ph.D.

Director, Life Development Center, Watanabe Clinic, Yokohama, Japan

Carrying a lineage of art, music and literature; seeking to revive a harmony of coexistence with the Mother Nature on this planet.

Storyteller

5 Germán Walteros, LMFT

Latinx Mental Health worker Trabajador de la Salud Mental.

Thank you to all who joined us for our February 2026 World Premiere!

The week featured:

+200

Registrations

4

Days of
Screening

4

Continents

1

Film

Sankofa Part 1 is currently only available to view in official and sponsored screenings, sales and rentals coming October 2026

Sponsor a Screening

4

Continents

4

Days of
screening

+200

Registrations

1

Film

The naissance and development of psychiatry between 1650–1850

The naissance and development of psychiatry

family studies in the early

family studies

family studies in

between 1650–1850

family studies in the

1900s

in the early1900s

the early 1900s

early 1900s

and pioneering

and

and pioneering work in IMH

work in IMH in the 1970’s

pioneering work in

pioneering work in IMH

in the 1970’s

coincided with European and

in the 1970’s

Selma Fraiberg Book Cover of Assessment and Therapy of Disturbances in Infancy

IMH in the 1970’s

coincided with European and United States imperialism and

colonization.

United States imperialism and colonization.

As language, cultures, and relationships were colonized often to the point of extinction, a knowledge vacuum about relational wellbeing was created.

We are deeply grateful to ancestors who persevered and kept language and knowledge about collective wellbeing alive

We are deeply grateful to ancestors who persevered and kept language and knowledge about collective wellbeing alive through waves

We are deeply grateful to ancestors who persevered and kept language and knowledge about collective wellbeing alive through

through waves of genocide,

of genocide

waves of genocide

, so

, so

so future generations might know, sustain, and pass forward healing practices rooted in abiding, relational principles that enabled cultures and communities to thrive for

future generations might know, sustain, and pass forward healing practices rooted in abiding, relational principles that enabled cultures and communities to

future generations might know, sustain, and pass forward healing practices rooted in abiding, relational principles that enabled cultures and communities

millenia.

thrive for millenia

to thrive for millenia.

Our Roots

Sankofa

Symbol from the Akan people of Ghana, a reminder to retrieve what is important from the past as we move forward into the future. A common interpretation “go back and get it.”

Sankofa

Symbol from the Akan people of Ghana, a reminder to retrieve what is important from the past as we move forward into the future. A common interpretation “go back and get it.”

Manglares (Mangroves)

Significant in stories and traditions of many cultures, manglares share interconnected, interdependent root systems and provide sanctuary, nourishment, and protection for their coastal ecosystems.

Manglares (Mangroves)

Significant in stories and traditions of many cultures, manglares share interconnected, interdependent root systems and provide sanctuary, nourishment, and protection for their coastal ecosystems.

La Cultura Cura

Common Latine framework recognizing that culture - shared identity, traditional healing, and community resilience - is core to individual and collective well-being.

La Cultura Cura

Common Latine framework recognizing that culture - shared identity, traditional healing, and community resilience - is core to individual and collective well-being.

Ubuntu

Term from the Bantu people in South Africa embodying interconnectedness and humanity. For Black people around the world, community and interconnectedness have always has been a vital part of our existence and healing.

Ubuntu

Amae

Everyday word in Japanese culture that conveys a deep sense of interdependent relationship a person has with others around them.

Amae

Everyday word in Japanese culture that conveys a deep sense of interdependent relationship a person has with others around them.

Etuaptmumk

(two-eyed seeing) Mi'kmaw guiding principle for culturally-inclusive, co-learning journeys to integrate Indigenous and Western knowledge for the benefit of all.

Etuaptmumk

(two-eyed seeing) Mi'kmaw guiding principle for culturally-inclusive, co-learning journeys to integrate Indigenous and Western knowledge for the benefit of all.

Resources

These are just a selection of works we admire that inform and resonate with our practice. We are working to build a wider collection and welcome our community's input. To suggest additions to the resource library, please contact us via email below.

WAIMH: Decolonizing IMH Research, Practice & Intervention

journal

Jul 30, 2025

WAIMH: Decolonizing IMH Research, Practice & Intervention

journal

Jul 30, 2025

WAIMH: Decolonizing IMH Research, Practice & Intervention

journal

Jul 30, 2025

The Diversity-Informed Tenets

organiation

The Diversity-Informed Tenets

organiation

The Diversity-Informed Tenets

organiation

From Root to Bone

podcast

From Root to Bone

podcast

From Root to Bone

podcast

Secrets Of A Maya Supermom

article

May 18, 2018

Secrets Of A Maya Supermom

article

May 18, 2018

Secrets Of A Maya Supermom

article

May 18, 2018

What Therapists Need to Know About Perinatal and Early Relational Health

book

What Therapists Need to Know About Perinatal and Early Relational Health

book

What Therapists Need to Know About Perinatal and Early Relational Health

book

How Cultures Protect the New Mother

article

Jul 30, 2017

How Cultures Protect the New Mother

article

Jul 30, 2017

How Cultures Protect the New Mother

article

Jul 30, 2017

In 2023, Indigo Cultural Center invited four IECMH colleagues to form the inaugural Steering Collective. As co-creators, they continue to advise the design, process, and dissemination phases of the Sankofa IMH History Project™

Steering Collective giving welcome in various languages

Team welcome in various laguages

0:00/1:34

(click on trees)

Steering Collective

(click on trees)

Natasha Pérez Byars
MS, MSW, LICSW
Daughter of Sylvia and David Byars; descendant of Black and Mexican love and community with roots in The Colony, Alabama and Weslaco, Texas
Indigo Cultural Center Director of Racial Equity Consultation and Training
nucha isarowong
Ph.D., LICSW, IMH-E®
Descendant of the first peoples of Southeast Asia
Director, Advanced Clinical Training Program Barnard Center for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health University of Washington School of Nursing
Marie-Celeste Condon
MS-ECE, Ph.D
Descendant of Mi’kmaq L’nu, Québécois immigrants, and Irish settlers
Social Justice, Early Relational Health & Reflective Consultation
Eva Marie Shivers
J.D., Ph.D.
Descendant of Dreamers and Enslaved Africans Healer, Pleasure Activist, Portal Weaver, Visionary
Indigo Cultural Center Founding Executive Director
Aditi Subramaniam
LMHC, R-DMT, IECMH-E®
Daughter of Prasad and Rani Subramaniam, descendant of ancestors from Southern India. Dreamer. Disruptor. Artist.
Director, Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Policy Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children
Germán Walteros
LMFT
Latinx Mental Health worker
Indigo Cultural Center Founding Executive Director

Natasha Pérez Byars
MS, MSW, LICSW
Daughter of Sylvia and David Byars; descendant of Black and Mexican love and community with roots in The Colony, Alabama and Weslaco, Texas
Indigo Cultural Center Director of Racial Equity Consultation and Training
nucha isarowong
Ph.D., LICSW, IMH-E®
Descendant of the first peoples of Southeast Asia
Director, Advanced Clinical Training Program Barnard Center for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health University of Washington School of Nursing
Marie-Celeste Condon
MS-ECE, Ph.D
Descendant of Mi’kmaq L’nu, Québécois immigrants, and Irish settlers
Social Justice, Early Relational Health & Reflective Consultation
Eva Marie Shivers
J.D., Ph.D.
Descendant of Dreamers and Enslaved Africans Healer, Pleasure Activist, Portal Weaver, Visionary
Indigo Cultural Center Founding Executive Director
Aditi Subramaniam
LMHC, R-DMT, IECMH-E®
Daughter of Prasad and Rani Subramaniam, descendant of ancestors from Southern India. Dreamer. Disruptor. Artist.
Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children Director, Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Policy
Germán Walteros
LMFT
Latinx Mental Health worker
Indigo Cultural Center Founding Executive Director

Natasha Pérez Byars
MS, MSW, LICSW
Daughter of Sylvia and David Byars; descendant of Black and Mexican love and community with roots in The Colony, Alabama and Weslaco, Texas
Indigo Cultural Center Director of Racial Equity Consultation and Training
nucha isarowong
Ph.D., LICSW, IMH-E®
Descendant of the first peoples of Southeast Asia
Director, Advanced Clinical Training Program Barnard Center for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health University of Washington School of Nursing
Marie-Celeste Condon
MS-ECE, Ph.D
Descendant of Mi’kmaq L’nu, Québécois immigrants, and Irish settlers
Social Justice, Early Relational Health & Reflective Consultation
Eva Marie Shivers
J.D., Ph.D.
Descendant of Dreamers and Enslaved Africans Healer, Pleasure Activist, Portal Weaver, Visionary
Indigo Cultural Center Founding Executive Director
Aditi Subramaniam
LMHC, R-DMT, IECMH-E®
Daughter of Prasad and Rani Subramaniam, descendant of ancestors from Southern India. Dreamer. Disruptor. Artist.
Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children Director, Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Policy
Germán Walteros
LMFT
Latinx Mental Health worker
Indigo Cultural Center Founding Executive Director

“Everything requires collectivity to heal.”

-sujatha baliga

Our Creative Team

Eliyannah A. Yisrael

Sankofa Creative and Media Coordinator

Storyteller & filmmaker; descendent of fellow dreamers, disruptors, and brave souls enslaved throughout the US south, and who dreamed their way to Chicago.

Joel Farias Godinez Jr

Video Editor

Proud son of immigrants, roots from the Purepecha tribes in Michoacán and Jalisco, Mexico. Husband, father, and community member seeking to contribute to the world's healing.

Claire Alexandre

UX and Web Designer

Diaspora child with roots in the French Antilles and the Alps. Abolitionist Feminist storyteller and student of ecologies determined to build systems of regeneration and reciprocity.

JOURNAL ARTICLE

The Sankofa Infant Mental Health History Project

By the Steering Collective

Key Words:

Decolonization

Revitalization

Infant Mental Health History

Storytelling

Healing Justice

EVALUATIVE REPORT

Decolonizing our Understanding & Practice of Reflective Supervision through a Racial Equity Lens

Shivers, Janssen, Subramaniam, et al

About:

Developed with support from the Perigee Fund, this report was informed by national focus groups and surveys of more than 150 individuals, including Reflective Supervision & IECMHC community members, leaders, practitioners, providers, trainers, and organizations.:

JOURNAL ARTICLE

The Sankofa Infant Mental Health History Project

By the Steering Collective

Key Words:

Decolonization,

Revitalization,

Infant Mental Health History,

Storytelling,

Healing Justice

EVALUATIVE REPORT

Decolonizing our Understanding & Practice of Reflective Supervision through a Racial Equity Lens

Shivers, Janssen, Subramaniam, et al

About:

6 Ways YOU can help promote our project

The Sankofa Infant Mental Health History Project™ is a collaborative labor of love led by Indigo Cultural Center and made possible in part by our general operating support from the Irving Harris Foundation and Perigee Fund, Zero To Three Academy PAR Grant funding, and the generosity of our community. Every workshop registration, film rental or purchase, and sponsored event helps keep this ongoing project sustainable.

1.
Sponsor
a Sankofa screening for your group or organization
INQUIRY FORM
INQUIRY FORM
2.
Share
with your networks about the Sankofa Project
Email template here
EMAIL TEMPLATE
3.
Donate
to the sustainability of our Sankofa Project
DONATION OPTIONS
4.
Connect Us
to potential partners, conferences, or events via email
sankofa@indigoculturalcenter.com
sankofa@indigoculturalcenter.com
5.
Here
Here
Join
Our mailing list
6.
Follow
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Thank You!

we want to hear from you

Sankofa Storytellers

Storyteller

1

Janina E. Fariñas, Ph.D., Psy., LPC

Hija de Joaquín Fariñas and Nora Isabel Vanegas. Proud granddaughter of Lola Cordoba and Agustin Vanegas. Latina immigrant from her beloved El Salvador.

Storyteller

2

Marva L. Lewis, Ph.D., IMH-E®

Proud direct descendent of enslaved Africans who survived chattel slavery in the USA. Daughter of Ward & Martha Lewis of Royal Oak Twp. Michigan, part of the Great Migration from the South.

Storyteller

3

Haruko Watanabe, MA, LMHC, IMH-E®

Descendant of artists, poets and healers and ancestors in Japan. Facilitators of healing-centered practices.

Storyteller

4

Hisako Watanabe, M.D., Ph.D.

Carrying a lineage of art, music and literature; seeking to revive a harmony of coexistence with the Mother Nature on this planet.

Storyteller

5

Germán Walteros, LMFT

Latinx Mental Health worker Trabajador de la Salud Mental.

Thank you to all who joined us for our February 2026 World Premiere!

Thank you to all who joined us for our February 2026 World Premiere!

The week featured:

+200

Registrations

4

Days of Screening

4

Continents

1

Film

4

4

+200

1

The naissance and development of psychiatry between 1650–1850

The naissance and development of psychiatry between 1650–1850

The naissance and development of psychiatry

family studies in the early

family studies

family studies in

between 1650–1850

family studies in the

1900s

in the early1900s

the early 1900s

early 1900s

and pioneering

and

and

and pioneering work in IMH

work in IMH in the 1970’s

pioneering work in

pioneering work in IMH

in the 1970’s

coincided with European and

in the 1970’s

IMH in the 1970’s

coincided with European and United States imperialism and

coincided with European and United States imperialism and

colonization.

colonization.

United States imperialism and colonization.

As language, cultures, and relationships were colonized often to the point of extinction, a knowledge vacuum about relational wellbeing was created.

As language, cultures, and relationships were colonized often to the point of extinction, a knowledge vacuum about relational wellbeing was created.

As language, cultures, and relationships were colonized often to the point of extinction, a knowledge vacuum about relational wellbeing was created.

We are deeply grateful to ancestors who persevered and kept language and knowledge about collective wellbeing alive

We are deeply grateful to ancestors who persevered and kept language and knowledge about collective wellbeing alive through waves

We are deeply grateful to ancestors who persevered and kept language and knowledge about collective wellbeing alive through

through waves of genocide,

of genocide

waves of genocide

, so

, so

so future generations might know, sustain, and pass forward healing practices rooted in abiding, relational principles that enabled cultures and communities to thrive for

future generations might know, sustain, and pass forward healing practices rooted in abiding, relational principles that enabled cultures and communities to

future generations might know, sustain, and pass forward healing practices rooted in abiding, relational principles that enabled cultures and communities

millenia.

thrive for millenia

Days of
Screening