| REMATRIATION | REMATRIACIÓN

| REMATRIATION | REMATRIACIÓN

CasaTierra is a communal homestead located in Cabarete, Dominican Republic that is committed to the healing of Black & Indigenous people, rematriation to the land, reverence for our home and Earth. We offer refuge, community, belonging, and renewal for people practicing equity and liberation.

| LAND | TIERRA

| LAND | TIERRA

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ABOUT FOUNDER

My name is Ysanet Batista Vargas (she/her/ella), and I was born in Harlem, NYC, and raised there, Miami, Florida, and the Dominican Republic. I spent the majority of my life visiting the north coast of the Dominican Republic to spend time with my family and understand my culture. As a young person, I dreamt of working in eco-tourism on the island, so I pursued a career in hospitality and tourism, which I did for 10 years. After realizing the field was not aligned with my values of earth care and justice, I transitioned to community, place, and identity-centered organizing.

I immersed myself in practicing racial equity, food justice, and land stewardship. I created a food service and justice business called Woke Foods, studied Urban Agriculture at Farm School NYC, and became certified in Permaculture Design from Quisqueya Permacultura in Samaná and Apicultura Cimarrona (Beekeeping) from Colmena Cimarrona in Vieques, Puerto Rico.

I rematriated to the Dominican Republic in 2020, but in 2014, life brought me to the north coast of the island, where I worked and lived in Cabarete, Puerto Plata. Cabarete is a very special place with access to water sports, mountain views, the best sunsets, as well as its humble and joyful local folks. Cabarete is also considered a tourist town and attracts people (primarily White Europeans and Canadians) who often end up moving here, like me. Yet, the privileged people and companies that have been arriving here for the past 30 years have exploited the town with neocolonialism connected to tourism, real estate development, and foreign investments.

My intention and focus with CasaTierra is to mitigate the harm that colonization has caused to the town of Cabarete, specifically el Callejón de la Loma. I aim to build a model project using permaculture principles, natural building, fruit trees, community gardens, food justice, and equitable community living for local Dominicans and other BIPoC.

My life’s work is an ode and commitment to Mother Earth, my people, ancestral lineage, and justice and liberation. I am documenting and sharing my journey of building CasaTierra on this website. If any of what I share helps your own journey or inspires you, I invite you to donate to help me build this up for us!

FAQs

  • CasaTierra directly translates to Homeland and it is the name we chose for this project because our founder, Ysanet Batista, built it after returning to her homeland of the Dominican Republic. Also, because HOME and LAND are two of the most important areas for the survival of Black & marginalized people but often systemically inaccessible and a source of trauma. CasaTierra is a communal homestead located in Cabarete, Dominican Republic, committed to the healing of Black & Indigenous people, rematriation to the land, and reverence for our home and Earth. We offer refuge, community, belonging, and renewal for people practicing equity and liberation.

  • Rematriation refers to the return to a way of living that honors and respects Mother Earth and ancestral practices. It involves reconnecting with and restoring the land to its original, sacred purposes.

  • CasaTierra will offer communal living spaces to rent, buy, or invest in. We will also be available to host retreats that are open to the public as well as private for organizations/collectives. We plan to offer workshops on permaculture, natural building, food justice, and community gardening, as well as spaces for healing and renewal.

  • The building process has started, and we aim to complete the first units by early 2026. We will update the community as we reach different milestones. Subscribe to our mailing list to stay updated with our blog where we share stories of the journey!

  • You can support CasaTierra by donating to our project, volunteering your time and skills, connecting us to funding/grant opportunties, or spreading the word about our mission and projects. Every contribution helps us build and sustain our community.

  • Yes, we welcome volunteers! There are various opportunities to get involved, from helping with construction to participating in our food garden, restoring our lagoon, and organizing workshops. Stay tuned for updates on volunteer programs.