Dark Before The Dawn
A Wellness Retreat For Black Community
September 16th - September 19th 2022 at Zajac Ranch, Mission, BC
(Unceded S’ólh Téméxw (Stó:lō) & Kwantlen territory).
Creating Healthy Community
Dark Before The Dawn aims to create a safe, inclusive environment for Black healing through a multifaceted approach. This approach includes holistic, cultural, and integrative wellness practices and modalities.
Guiding Principles of
Dark Before The Dawn
What Do We Value?
Community + Connection
Our goal is to provide supportive and nourishing environment to build nurturing and affirming relationships. We seek to create a space where people can imagine and actively create a life of joy, dignity, peacefulness, and love.
Inclusiveness
To cultivate inclusion in our communities through awareness, understanding, compassion, and grace. We actively work towards increased access and inclusion. We choose our words wisely, and there is zero-tolerance for discrimination, harassment, or violence in the space.
Intergenerational Healing
Our goal is to provide youth, elders, and everyone in between opportunities to connect and partake in fun and engaging activities, storytelling, conversations, and community care, in order to rebuild, grow, strengthen our community, and pass along wisdom.
Self-Determination + Self-Actualization
We wish to provide opportunities for self-determination through ancestral and cultural connections, and holistic wellness practices. We support the process of self-actualization by providing an environment where one's physiological, safety, belonging, and self-esteem needs can be prioritized.
About This Retreat
Everything you need to know about Dark Before the Dawn 2022
Attendee Guide
Shuttle times, daily schedule, what to pack and everything else you need to know about the retreat. Password was emailed to all registered attendees.
Accessibility
The retreat is located at Zajac Ranch, a summer camp for children living with disabilities and medical conditions. Discover more about the facility.
COVID-19 Protocol + Community Agreements
We are committed to your wellness. Learn more about how we are keeping the space safe.
Support & Donate
The Dark Before the Dawn Retreat is only possible with community support. Join us in our efforts to make this intergenerational healing retreat a possibility.
Accommodations + Gallery
Explore lodging options to meet your needs and budget. View images of the rooms and ranch.
Programming
We have a variety of activities planned for you so that you can move through the retreat at a pace that feels good and right for you.
Watch: Community Conversations
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The History of Dark Before the Dawn
In August 2020 Kendra Coupland organized a wellness retreat called Dark Before the dawn for the Black community in response to the grief so many were experiencing as they processed ongoing systemic racial violence in the midst of a pandemic.
The Dark Before the Dawn Retreat was a two day retreat centering the wellness of the Black community. It took place at Abundance Farms (on the unceded territory of the Sts'ailes, Cheam & Seabird Island people). The retreat sought to connect likeminded community members with healers in the community.
Facilitators, activities, & vendors included African drumming & dance, Afro-vegan food, group talk therapy with a certified counselor, Trauma Release Exercises, daily yoga and meditation, art therapy, healing for men and non-women, sound healing.
Hear what the participants had to say about the retreat.