Angola Dixon is on a mission to transform the way people communicate, build relationships, and resolve conflict. Over the past 20 years she has been trained and certified as a Human Resources Administrator, Master Energy Healer, and Restorative Principles Facilitator.
She completed a traditional apprenticeship in Peacemaking with her mentor, Saroeum Phoung (under the direction of Harold and Phil Gatesnby, members of the Carcross-Tagish and Dahka T'lingit First Nations, and Mark Wedge, member of the Carcross-Tagish First Nation).
In 2013, she served on the leadership council of both the Non-Profit Anti-Racism Coalition Seattle (NPARC) and the Center for Ethical Leadership (CEL) Peacemaking Teams. Her NPARC team won a grant by The Office of Civil Rights to facilitate Racial Healing Circles in community (part of the City of Seattle’s Race and Social Justice Initiative). The Seattle Community Learning Exchange, Spring of 2014, was a joint effort by the Peacemaking and Healing Initiative Team to welcome groups of educators from all over the country.
Later that same year, Angola contributed to the City of Seattle Restorative Justice Pilot Project at City Hall. The Restorative process she learned was designed by Dominic Barter in mid-1990's Rio de Janiero, Brazil; He incorporated indigenous circle traditions and the research work of Marshall Rosenberg. This unique style of Circle Work has been adapted and utilized for schools, courts, and community outreach in Brazil, the United States, Europe and Canada. By 2015, Angola was serving as Director of Indigenous Circles for Seattle Restorative Justice Non-Profit alongside her other mentor, Andrea Brenneke (Co-founder of SRJ).
In 2018-2019 she coordinated Transformative Practices at Nova High School in Seattle, Washington (USA) facilitating Racial and Health Equity Circles. Spring 2019, her Teen Health Needs Assessment is helping Nova design a new teen health center, opening Fall 2020, focused on LGBTQ+ and POC health. Currently, she's a supporter of the Native American Rights Fund Indigenous Peacemaking Initiative and a featured "Circle Person" with the Living Justice Press. This Fall, Angola is participating in the International Symposium on Dads and Daughters for gender equality convened by Jude Kelly CBE at Historic Waddesdon Manor in the UK.
Angola has facilitated workshops for men, women and youth of diverse cultural backgrounds. Some of the amazing organizations include:
- King County Library System,
- Bastyr University of Natural Health,
- Interagency Schools,
- The Freedom Project,
- Youth & Family Services, as Director of Indigenous Circles with SRJ,
- YWCA (Diversity Team),
- Community Learning Exchanges in Seattle, Washington D.C., and Jacksonville,
- The City of Seattle Restorative Justice Pilot Project,
- The Vera Project (art based youth programs),
- select Seattle Public Schools, and
- Camp 98118.
