Artist, Healer, and Mother
Kathleen (Kat) Cancio was born in Pampanga, Philippines and currently resides in occupied Lenape territory, a.k.a. Spring Valley, NY. Her early activism was inspired by her experience growing up in the East Ramapo Central School District (ERCSD) where public education was constantly under attack by corrupt leadership. Having fought to defend the public school system as a student and now alumna, Kat has developed a deep love for her community and continues to combat injustices on behalf of future generations.
Kat’s lifework and passions also include a focus on the arts; youth and women’s empowerment; spiritual growth; ancestral healing and indigenous rights.
Kat helps support the Ramapough Lenape Nation in their struggle for land, cultural preservation and the protection of mother earth. She served as the Coordinator of Split Rock Sweetwater Prayer Camp, a Ramapough-led campaign that stood in solidarity with the Standing Rock protests and against the proposed Pilgrim Pipeline in New Jersey.