Rootead’s Glossary of Terms

Purpose of This Glossary

Rootead’s mission is rooted in complex concepts and language that aren’t familiar to everyone. We want to be able to communicate our work and the philosophy that drives us with everyone who comes in contact with our organization so that they can grasp what it is we’re all about. By defining terminology that we use on a regular basis all in one convenient location, we hope to make our purpose accessible to all and inspire people to get involved with us!

Decolonization

Dismantling the ongoing influence of colonizers – those who have taken over and erased the culture of native peoples – and the mentality of cultural superiority that permeates all institutions and forms of government 

Birth justice: 

Giving back the power to the birthing person to make their own decisions around their reproductive system. This includes providing the necessary support and information they need in order to maintain their reproductive health. This work reduces disparities in negative birth outcomes for BIPOC families.

Perinatal 

The weeks surrounding – before and after – birth

Postpartum 

After the birth of a child, once the child “parts” from inside their parent’s body

Doula 

Someone who provides spiritual, emotional, physical, and informational support to a person and their family before, during, and shortly after pregnancy in a non-medical capacity

Full-spectrum doula 

A doula who helps during fertility, pregnancy, labor, birth, and the first months of baby’s life in the postpartum period

Healing arts 

Creative practices that promote wellness and inner peace.

Examples: dance, painting, massage, writing, playing music

Healing circle 

A gathering around of people with the focus of healing together 

Safe space 

Any space in which a person feels unjudged, free from oppression, and comfortable exploring and expressing their identities

Brave space 

Any space in which a person feels so unjudged and free from oppression that they are inspired to get out of their comfort zone and be the most authentic version of themselves

Anti-racist

Actively working against systems of racial oppression

Intersectionality

The connectedness of different facets of one’s identity that contribute to the way they experience and move through the world, including but not limited to race, gender, sexuality, disability status, and ethnicity.

LGBTQIA+ 

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual, with the plus representing other queer identities such as two-spirit, non-binary, etc.

Queer

Any identity other than heterosexual and cisgender

Folx 

A gender neutral reference to multiple people

Masc 

Masculine-of-center, a person who identifies as more masculine while usually also considering themselves non-binary

Femme 

Feminine-of-center, a person who identifies as more feminine while also usually considering themselves non-binary

Bisexual 

Attraction to more than one gender

Pansexual 

Attraction to all genders or regardless of one’s gender

Non-monogamy

The act of being romantically or sexually involved with more than one person

Polyamory

The act of loving more than one person

Demisexual 

Attraction that only occurs as a result of emotional intimacy

Non-binary/gender queer

Someone who does not identify as a gender on the binary – male, female, or transgender

Reclaiming the village

Creating a community that invokes the spirit and traditions of, and connects us to, our ancestors 

Ancestral trauma 

The pain we bare as a result of the mistreatment of our ancestors

Ancestral healing 

The process of revealing and releasing inherited wounds and traumas that have been passed down by our ancestors 

Sankofa 

The Ghanaian principle that says we must remember our past in order to move forward

Lineage 

Group of which a person has descended from and can trace their family back to

Transformative justice 

Justice that seeks to rehabilitate both perpetrators and survivors of trauma in order to dismantle imbalanced systems of power and encourage healing in a healthy way with the aid of the community

Restorative justice 

Justice that involves a meeting between perpetrator and survivor with the purpose of mediating a discussion where the perpetrator acknowledges what they did wrong, makes it right for those hurt or affected, and involve the community in helping both parties 

Trauma-informed 

Acknowledges the need to understand a person’s life experiences in order to deliver effective care (from here)

Embodiment 

A concrete representation of an abstract concept (i.e. channeling emotions into yoga or dance)

Mindfulness

Maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment, through a gentle, nurturing lens

Djembe 

A specific type of African drum played using bare hands

Drum circle 

A gathering of people drumming together, oftentimes using a djembe drum

Cultural competence 

The ability of an individual to understand and respect values, attitudes, beliefs, and mores that differ across cultures, and to consider and respond appropriately to these differences; the ability to effectively interact with people from cultures different from one’s own, especially through a knowledge and appreciation of cultural differences

Culturally competent care 

Care that respects diversity in the patient population and cultural factors that can affect health and health care, such as language, communication styles, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors

Centering experiences/voices 

Gearing our programming towards a certain demographic and prioritizing a viewpoint that is typically marginalized, while also welcoming those outside of that demographic

Cultural appropriation 

Benefitting from the adoption of a cultural symbol or custom of significance by someone outside of that culture – usually a person who is part of the dominant culture – where someone within the culture is marginalized for it

BIPOC 

Black and Indigenous People/Person of Color

Indigenous 

Native to the land

Indigenous American

Native American; member of a tribe who originated in the Americas

Diaspora 

A population, all with a similar heritage or homeland, who have since moved out to places all over the world

Black/African diaspora 

Black individuals who are descendants of people brought from their homeland of Africa to another land (i.e. the Americas, Europe, etc.)

To find out how this language informs our work and gets put into practice, check out our services.