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Tuesday, July 14
 

8:00am MDT

Registration and Breakfast
Tuesday July 14, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am MDT

Tuesday July 14, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am MDT
  Registration/Breakfast

9:00am MDT

Symposium Welcome Address
Tuesday July 14, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am MDT
  • Opening Blessing
  • Executive Director Welcome
  • Debut of ISI
  • Overview of the Symposium Logistics
  • Introduction of the Experiential Place Based/Land Based Learning
    • Transitions/ Wellness Break 
    • PickUp Sack Lunches 




Tuesday July 14, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am MDT
  General Session

10:00am MDT

Experiential Place Based/Land Based Learning
Tuesday July 14, 2026 10:00am - 3:30pm MDT
TBA

Tuesday July 14, 2026 10:00am - 3:30pm MDT
TBA
 
Wednesday, July 15
 

8:00am MDT

Registration and Breakfast
Wednesday July 15, 2026 8:00am - 8:30am MDT

Wednesday July 15, 2026 8:00am - 8:30am MDT
  Registration/Breakfast

8:45am MDT

Keynote 1 - “Igniting the Sparkle: An Indigenous Science Education Model”
Wednesday July 15, 2026 8:45am - 9:45am MDT

Speakers
avatar for Dr. Gregory Cajete (Santa Clara)

Dr. Gregory Cajete (Santa Clara)

Gregory Cajete, Ph.D. (Santa Clara Pueblo), Native American educator whose work is dedicated to honoring the foundations of Indigenous knowledge in education. Dr. Cajete is a Tewa Indian from Santa Clara Pueblo, New Mexico. He has served as a New Mexico Humanities scholar in ethno botany of Northern New Mexico and as a member... Read More →
Wednesday July 15, 2026 8:45am - 9:45am MDT
  General Session Keynote

10:00am MDT

Bridging Explicit Instruction with Indigenous Genius by Design (IGbD)
Wednesday July 15, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am MDT
TBA
This session is designed for educators who want to honor the rigor of Native Literature while ensuring every student has the cognitive tools to access it. We will explore how Explicit Instruction (EI)—typically viewed as a "Western" pedagogical tool—can be decolonized and repurposed to serve the transfer of Indigenous knowledge, values, and joy.
Speakers
JA
Wednesday July 15, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am MDT
TBA
  Breakout Session A

10:00am MDT

From Classroom to Community: Empowering Students by Indigenizing Your Secondary ELA Curriculum Using A Rhetorical Approach
Wednesday July 15, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am MDT
TBA
How do we prepare students for where they’re going in life? Recent scholarship on writing and rhetoric offers important insights about how we can help students negotiate the critical transitions that increasingly determine postsecondary success—like the transition from middle school to high school, high school to college, school to work, and from first-year college courses into the major and...
See More →
Speakers
avatar for Margo Batha

Margo Batha

English teacher Los Alamos High School and Coach, California State University Expository Reading and Writing Course, Los Alamos Public Schools
From Classroom to Community: Empowering Students by Indigenizing Your Secondary ELA Curriculum Using A Rhetorical Approach
How do we prepare students for where they’re going in life? Recent scholarship on writing and rhetoric offers important insights about how we can help students negotiate the critical transitions that increasingly determine postsecondary success—like the transition from middle... Read More →
Wednesday July 15, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am MDT
TBA
  Breakout Session A

10:00am MDT

Ikhoyaka - Character Building
Wednesday July 15, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am MDT
TBA
Character Building of our Lakota (Native) students has been the first priority focus since the days we lived in tipis. Elders and Children were always first when considered in the families. Native people knew that if we raised decent human beings, our way of life would be easier to manage. Building character also helps our Native students excel and fosters a healthy identity. Native students must...
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Wednesday July 15, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am MDT
TBA
  Breakout Session A

10:00am MDT

Mother Water (Water Filter Lab)
Wednesday July 15, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am MDT
TBA
This session explores why clean water is essential for health, ecosystems, and community well‑being, grounding the learning in both scientific principles and Indigenous teachings. Many Indigenous Nations view water as a living relative and emphasize responsibility, respect, and stewardship. These perspectives frame the scientific investigation into how water becomes contaminated and how...
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Speakers
avatar for Kim Etsitty (Diné)
Wednesday July 15, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am MDT
TBA
  Breakout Session A

10:00am MDT

Poetry in the Elementary Native Lit Classroom: Accessing the Joy of Language through Play
Wednesday July 15, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am MDT
TBA
In this session, participants will learn strategies to engage students in the study of poetry through play. Participants will take a deep dive into Grade 4 Unit 2: Words of Empowerment and Resilience that focuses on the novel in verse Red Bird Sings by Dawn Quigley (Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe). They will read and write poetry in rotations that provide the opportunity to experiment with...
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Speakers
avatar for Sarah Caldwell

Sarah Caldwell

Albuquerque Public Schools
Sarah Caldwell is a bi-racial black educator who was raised in a suburb of Wichita, Kansas where her education focused exclusively on white authors until her English teacher, Mrs. A, assigned Toni Morrison during her senior year of high school. She immersed herself in texts by diverse... Read More →
Wednesday July 15, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am MDT
TBA
  Breakout Session A

10:00am MDT

Sixth Grade Indigenous Science Curriculum
Wednesday July 15, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am MDT
TBA
The session will provide an overview of the curriculum through modeling and engagement of learning through hands-on learning lessons connecting to ELA/art lessons, implementing place-based learning methods, and showing how to adapt and localize lessons to your classroom. The goal is to provide modeling, practicing, and provide tools to implement within the learners' classrooms.
Speakers
avatar for Diane Chavarria

Diane Chavarria

Kha'p'o Community School
“Learning is a never-ending and exciting adventure” is the motto that paves the way of Diane's life. She is a proud wife and mother of four boys who are from the Santa Clara Pueblo. With a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from the Pennsylvania State University, she pursued a background... Read More →
avatar for Tylar Rodriguez

Tylar Rodriguez

Phoenix International Academy
Tylar Rodriguez currently works and lives in South Phoenix. He is an experienced educator at Phoenix International Academy and has participated in the Indigenous Science Initiative of the last 3 years as a curriculum writer and mentor.
Wednesday July 15, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am MDT
TBA
  Breakout Session A

10:00am MDT

Understanding Tribal Systems and Building Meaningful Relationships
Wednesday July 15, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am MDT
TBA
This session will explore the importance of localizing education efforts through meaningful partnerships with Indigenous communities. Drawing from the presenter’s experience working in Tribal education, she will share practical insights from her own work in building relationships and navigating collaboration. Participants will then be introduced to foundational knowledge of Tribal governance...
See More →
Speakers
avatar for Bettina Sandoval (Taos Pueblo)

Bettina Sandoval (Taos Pueblo)

Bettina Sandoval was born into the community of Taos Pueblo, she is deeply rooted in her values and connections and is driven to make a positive impact anywhere she goes. Her passion for education started when she earned a Bachelor's of Science in Elementary Education from the University... Read More →
Wednesday July 15, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am MDT
TBA
  Breakout Session A

10:00am MDT

What Are GMO's
Wednesday July 15, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am MDT
TBA
In this engaging 8th grade science session, participants will take on the role of students and investigate the science of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) through the lens of both modern biotechnology and indigenous knowledge systems. Participants will begin by analyzing an excerpt from Robin Wall Kimmerer to ground their thinking in relationality and respect for the natural world. Using a...
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Speakers
avatar for Talaya Platero - Diné
Wednesday July 15, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am MDT
TBA
  Breakout Session A

11:30am MDT

Lunch and Social Break
Wednesday July 15, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm MDT
NACA Radical Poetry (2026 Slam Team)
Wednesday July 15, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm MDT
  Lunch

12:30pm MDT

Author and Poet Panel
Wednesday July 15, 2026 12:30pm - 1:30pm MDT
How can you integrate poetry and poets into your classroom?
Wednesday July 15, 2026 12:30pm - 1:30pm MDT
  General Session

1:45pm MDT

Indigenous Wisdom Curriculum
Wednesday July 15, 2026 1:45pm - 2:30pm MDT

Speakers
avatar for Azella Humetewa

Azella Humetewa

Senior Director of School Design & Sustainability, NACA inspired Schools Network

Wednesday July 15, 2026 1:45pm - 2:30pm MDT
  Breakout Session B

1:45pm MDT

Land Based Healing and Learning Overview Session
Wednesday July 15, 2026 1:45pm - 2:30pm MDT

Speakers
avatar for Alice Tsoodle (Kiowa & Cherokee)

Alice Tsoodle (Kiowa & Cherokee)

NACA inspired Schools Network
Alice Tsoodle comes from the Kiowa and Cherokee people of Oklahoma and is descendent of European settlers. She grew up in New Mexico and returns by way of Oklahoma, Colorado, and Washington. Her interests and experiences include walking with and learning from children as they reclaim... Read More →
Wednesday July 15, 2026 1:45pm - 2:30pm MDT
  Breakout Session B

1:45pm MDT

Open Unit Critique Session
Wednesday July 15, 2026 1:45pm - 2:30pm MDT

Wednesday July 15, 2026 1:45pm - 2:30pm MDT
  Breakout Session B

1:45pm MDT

School Capstones
Wednesday July 15, 2026 1:45pm - 2:30pm MDT

Wednesday July 15, 2026 1:45pm - 2:30pm MDT
  Breakout Session B

2:45pm MDT

Designing an Equitable High School Classroom
Wednesday July 15, 2026 2:45pm - 4:45pm MDT
TBA
Our session is rooted in the research of Dr. Gholdy Muhammad's five pursuits in her equity framework for schools: identity, skills, intellectualism, criticality and joy. While the work and practice of essential skills such as "introducing a precise, knowledgeable claim" is necessary in these pursuits, they serve more as the result of rather than the focus of the equitable classroom.
Speakers
avatar for Emily Beenen

Emily Beenen

Albuquerque Academy
Emily Beenen is a white, cisgender woman from the Midwest who currently teaches 8th and 9th grade ELA at Albuquerque Academy. Previously, she spent 19 years teaching primarily 11th and 12th grade AP Literature and AP Language at the Native American Community Academy. She applied to... Read More →
Wednesday July 15, 2026 2:45pm - 4:45pm MDT
TBA
  Breakout Session C

2:45pm MDT

Designing with Relatives: Indigenous Mentorship and the Native Auntie Way of Learning
Wednesday July 15, 2026 2:45pm - 4:45pm MDT
TBA
Many Indigenous educators grow professionally through relationships rather than formal professional development systems. Mentorship from aunties, elders, colleagues, and community members often teaches ways of observing, responding, and caring for others that shape how we approach leadership and learning. This interactive session begins with a personal story from the facilitator’s upbringing on...
See More →
Speakers
avatar for April Yazza (Diné and A:shiwi)

April Yazza (Diné and A:shiwi)

Doctoral Candidate, University of New Mexico
Yá’át’ééh! My name is April Brannon Yazza. I am of the Red Running into the Water People clan, born for the A:shiwi people, and I am originally from Tsayatoh, New Mexico on the Navajo Nation. Today I serve communities across Albuquerque and Santa Fe.

I am a doctoral candidate in the Native Americans in Educational Leadership program at the University of New Mexico, where our work centers Indigenous pedagogy, community-rooted research, and leadership grounded in cultural values. I am also a proud NACA-Inspired Schools Network... Read More →
Wednesday July 15, 2026 2:45pm - 4:45pm MDT
TBA
  Breakout Session C

2:45pm MDT

Healing With, Not Just For
Wednesday July 15, 2026 2:45pm - 4:45pm MDT
TBA
Our session will be with Cecelia (Acoma) and Shayai Lucero (Acoma/Laguna), Native American Mother and Daughter from New Mexico. Cecelia and Shayai will share their deep knowledge of plant medicine, curanderismo, wellness and regulation strategies so educators and administrators can integrate and nurture themselves on their paths beyond the symposium. Presentation Objectives include: * Contemplate...
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Speakers
avatar for Shayai Lucero (Acoma)
Wednesday July 15, 2026 2:45pm - 4:45pm MDT
TBA
  Breakout Session C

2:45pm MDT

ISI 101
Wednesday July 15, 2026 2:45pm - 4:45pm MDT
TBA
In this session, participants will learn about the story of the ISI, from early days in 2023 to the launch of the open-access curriculum. There will be an opportunity to hear the story of the project as well as to explore the resources and start thinking about how to adapt or localize the resources in diverse contexts.
Speakers
avatar for Paul LeFrancois

Paul LeFrancois

K12 Education Program Coordinator, LANL Foundation
Driven by a passion for place-based teaching and learning and a deep belief in public education, Paul LeFrancois serves as the K12 Education Program Manager for the LANL Foundation. In this role, he is responsible for coordinating the Indigenous Science Initiative and the National... Read More →
Wednesday July 15, 2026 2:45pm - 4:45pm MDT
TBA
  Breakout Session C

2:45pm MDT

Native Lit Student's: Taking the Experience Home with Paloma & Agalisiga
Wednesday July 15, 2026 2:45pm - 4:45pm MDT
TBA
Learn about Paloma's experience in NativeLit as a middle school student at NACA and how it has impacted her life. Then will transition to how Paloma and her partner Agalisiga now center Indigenous-centered literacy in their roles as parents, educators, Cherokee language learners, and creators (books and music). Audience members can also ask questions. May be especially beneficial to schools,...
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Speakers
avatar for Agalisiga Mackey (Cherokee)

Agalisiga Mackey (Cherokee)

Agalisiga “Chuj” Mackey is a Cherokee guitarist/musician and singer/songwriter from the Cherokee Nation in Northeast Oklahoma. Mackey spent the early years of his life growing up on a creek bank in the small traditional Cherokee community of Kenwood, OK. Mackey grew up participating... Read More →
avatar for Olivia Martinez (Kickapoo, Pyramid Lake Paiute, and Hispanic)

Olivia Martinez (Kickapoo, Pyramid Lake Paiute, and Hispanic)

Olivia “Liv” Martinez (she/her) is Kickapoo, Pyramid Lake Paiute, and Hispanic, born and raised in Albuquerque’s South Valley. Her early connection to land and community shaped her passion for outdoor education and working with youth. Now serving as Program Manager at Nature... Read More →
Wednesday July 15, 2026 2:45pm - 4:45pm MDT
TBA
  Breakout Session C

2:45pm MDT

Our Landscapes: Our Stories
Wednesday July 15, 2026 2:45pm - 4:45pm MDT
TBA
An informative session learning about the amazing cultural landscapes of the National Park Service. Our landscapes are a text and tell stories. Connecting the geographical and cultural stories of the places to the classroom in Native Literature and Indigenous Science curriculum contents.
Speakers
avatar for Diane Chavarria

Diane Chavarria

Kha'p'o Community School
“Learning is a never-ending and exciting adventure” is the motto that paves the way of Diane's life. She is a proud wife and mother of four boys who are from the Santa Clara Pueblo. With a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from the Pennsylvania State University, she pursued a background... Read More →
Wednesday July 15, 2026 2:45pm - 4:45pm MDT
TBA
  Breakout Session C

2:45pm MDT

Service in Science
Wednesday July 15, 2026 2:45pm - 4:45pm MDT
TBA
In this session, participants will consider how science can provide an opportunity for meaningful ways to incorporate service opportunities for students to directly inform and impact their community. Participants will look at a variety of practices to make learning visible that offer students genuine and authentic opportunities to demonstrate their learning. Participants will ground themselves in...
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Speakers
avatar for Tylar Rodriguez

Tylar Rodriguez

Phoenix International Academy
Tylar Rodriguez currently works and lives in South Phoenix. He is an experienced educator at Phoenix International Academy and has participated in the Indigenous Science Initiative of the last 3 years as a curriculum writer and mentor.
Wednesday July 15, 2026 2:45pm - 4:45pm MDT
TBA
  Breakout Session C

2:45pm MDT

The Voices of Us: Honoring Stories and American Identity
Wednesday July 15, 2026 2:45pm - 4:45pm MDT
TBA
In this hands-on session, participants will explore storytelling as a way to understand identity, culture, and what it means to be American. Through interviews, stories, poetry, and photography, participants step into the role of the student, experiencing how personal and cultural narratives reveal diverse perspectives. Together, we will honor and respect that each person’s definition of...
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Speakers
avatar for Abbie Winter

Abbie Winter

Regional Facilitator/Coach, Albuquerque Public Schools
Abbie Winter is a passionate educator and facilitator who believes classrooms should echo with story, voice, and possibility. With over 20 years of experience rooted in project-based learning, she creates spaces where students think critically, create boldly, and find their place... Read More →
Wednesday July 15, 2026 2:45pm - 4:45pm MDT
TBA
  Breakout Session C

4:50pm MDT

Closing for the Day
Wednesday July 15, 2026 4:50pm - 5:05pm MDT

Wednesday July 15, 2026 4:50pm - 5:05pm MDT
  General Session

7:00pm MDT

Open Mic Social (Optional)
Wednesday July 15, 2026 7:00pm - 9:00pm MDT
Flock of Moons Brewing Company

Wednesday July 15, 2026 7:00pm - 9:00pm MDT
Flock of Moons Brewing Company 111 Harvard Dr SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106
  Optional Mixer
 
Thursday, July 16
 

8:00am MDT

Registration and Breakfast
Thursday July 16, 2026 8:00am - 8:30am MDT

Thursday July 16, 2026 8:00am - 8:30am MDT
  Registration/Breakfast

8:30am MDT

Orientation to the day
Thursday July 16, 2026 8:30am - 8:45am MDT
TBA

Thursday July 16, 2026 8:30am - 8:45am MDT
TBA
  General Session

8:45am MDT

Keynote 2 - "Embracing Critical Indigenous Literacies in Curriculum Spaces"
Thursday July 16, 2026 8:45am - 9:45am MDT
TBA

Speakers
avatar for Natalie Martinez - Laguna
Thursday July 16, 2026 8:45am - 9:45am MDT
TBA
  General Session Keynote

10:00am MDT

Elementary Indigenous Science
Thursday July 16, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am MDT
TBA
Talk about the elementary curriculum I created for the NACA elementary teachers and how it's helped them continue indigenous science in their classrooms. Talks about connections to themselves, to land, to plants, to water, to animals, and how to utilize our senses (hear, sight, touch, taste, smell, and how you feel in your heart). Goes over all the different ways to incorporate the outdoors but...
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Speakers
avatar for Victoria Martinez (Laguna, Zia, Zuni, and Santo Domingo)
Thursday July 16, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am MDT
TBA
  Breakout Session D

10:00am MDT

From Classroom to Community: Empowering Students by Indigenizing Your Secondary ELA Curriculum Using A Rhetorical Approach
Thursday July 16, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am MDT
TBA
How do we prepare students for where they’re going in life? Recent scholarship on writing and rhetoric offers important insights about how we can help students negotiate the critical transitions that increasingly determine postsecondary success—like the transition from middle school to high school, high school to college, school to work, and from first-year college courses into the major and...
See More →
Speakers
avatar for Margo Batha

Margo Batha

English teacher Los Alamos High School and Coach, California State University Expository Reading and Writing Course, Los Alamos Public Schools
From Classroom to Community: Empowering Students by Indigenizing Your Secondary ELA Curriculum Using A Rhetorical Approach
How do we prepare students for where they’re going in life? Recent scholarship on writing and rhetoric offers important insights about how we can help students negotiate the critical transitions that increasingly determine postsecondary success—like the transition from middle... Read More →
Thursday July 16, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am MDT
TBA
  Breakout Session D

10:00am MDT

Inter-Indigenous Perspectives on Place-Based Learning
Thursday July 16, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am MDT
TBA
This interactive session explores land-based learning through an inter-Indigenous lens, highlighting how relationships with land, story, and community can shape meaningful educational experiences for youth. Facilitators Liv Martinez and Atieno Ouma will share practices from their work in outdoor and place-based education that encourage middle school students to build curiosity, observation skills,...
See More →
Speakers
avatar for Olivia Martinez (Kickapoo, Pyramid Lake Paiute, and Hispanic)

Olivia Martinez (Kickapoo, Pyramid Lake Paiute, and Hispanic)

Olivia “Liv” Martinez (she/her) is Kickapoo, Pyramid Lake Paiute, and Hispanic, born and raised in Albuquerque’s South Valley. Her early connection to land and community shaped her passion for outdoor education and working with youth. Now serving as Program Manager at Nature... Read More →
avatar for Atieno Ouma (Kenyan from the Luo tribe)

Atieno Ouma (Kenyan from the Luo tribe)

Nature Ninos
Atieno Ouma is a dedicated leader in outdoor education and community engagement with extensive experience designing experiential programs that connect young people to education, community, and the natural world. Originally from Kenya and raised in Massachusetts, she has lived in New... Read More →
Thursday July 16, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am MDT
TBA
  Breakout Session D

10:00am MDT

Language and the Land: Resources for Connecting to Critical Concepts
Thursday July 16, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am MDT
TBA
Land is a teacher. Land is not just a backdrop but a living entity that provides sustenance, medicine, and knowledge. This session provides ways that teachers can connect the land to literature by asking the following questions: How do we see land as text? How do you integrate land as text? Focusing on poetry, children's books, and non-fiction texts this session will help teachers k-12 connect...
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Speakers
avatar for Azella Humetewa

Azella Humetewa

Senior Director of School Design & Sustainability, NACA inspired Schools Network

avatar for Faith Rosetta (Santo Domingo Pueblo)
avatar for Diane Katzenmeyer Delgado

Diane Katzenmeyer Delgado

Director of Indigenous Genius by Design (Curriculum), NACA inspired Schools Network
Thursday July 16, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am MDT
TBA
  Breakout Session D

10:00am MDT

Localizing Your Curriculum- Planning in Place
Thursday July 16, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am MDT
TBA
Join us for an interactive session grounded in land based learning. Educators will reflect on their own recent outdoor experiences and explore how to design meaningful field trips that center relationships with land, community, and student Identity. Participants will consider how outdoor learning connects to Indigenous Science Initiative curriculum, including ways to frame pre- and post- learning...
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Speakers
avatar for Alice Tsoodle (Kiowa & Cherokee)

Alice Tsoodle (Kiowa & Cherokee)

NACA inspired Schools Network
Alice Tsoodle comes from the Kiowa and Cherokee people of Oklahoma and is descendent of European settlers. She grew up in New Mexico and returns by way of Oklahoma, Colorado, and Washington. Her interests and experiences include walking with and learning from children as they reclaim... Read More →
Thursday July 16, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am MDT
TBA
  Breakout Session D

10:00am MDT

Memoirs as Medicine
Thursday July 16, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am MDT
TBA
Indigenous literacy is more than reading and writing—it is the preservation of voice, identity, memory, and community knowledge. This session explores how storytelling and memoir can serve as powerful literacy tools that strengthen student identity, engagement, and academic growth across PK–12 classrooms. Drawing from Memoirs of a Rez Girl and years of experience in Indigenous education, this...
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Thursday July 16, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am MDT
TBA
  Breakout Session D

10:00am MDT

Storytelling: Passing on Indigenous Knowledge Through the Framework of Storytelling
Thursday July 16, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am MDT
TBA
Step into a reflective pause with Michael as he shares the living tradition of Pueblo storytelling, where stories are more than narratives—they are vessels of ancestral knowledge, identity, and responsibility. Through the timeless presence of tricksters, participants explore how humor, mischief, and consequence become powerful teaching tools rooted in place, community, and emergence. This...
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Thursday July 16, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am MDT
TBA
  Breakout Session D

10:00am MDT

Understanding Tribal Systems and Building Meaningful Relationships
Thursday July 16, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am MDT
TBA
This session will explore the importance of localizing education efforts through meaningful partnerships with Indigenous communities. Drawing from the presenter’s experience working in Tribal education, she will share practical insights from her own work in building relationships and navigating collaboration. Participants will then be introduced to foundational knowledge of Tribal governance...
See More →
Speakers
avatar for Bettina Sandoval (Taos Pueblo)

Bettina Sandoval (Taos Pueblo)

Bettina Sandoval was born into the community of Taos Pueblo, she is deeply rooted in her values and connections and is driven to make a positive impact anywhere she goes. Her passion for education started when she earned a Bachelor's of Science in Elementary Education from the University... Read More →
Thursday July 16, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am MDT
TBA
  Breakout Session D

11:30am MDT

Lunch and Social Break
Thursday July 16, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm MDT
TBA

Thursday July 16, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm MDT
TBA
  Lunch

12:30pm MDT

Author and Illustrator Panel
Thursday July 16, 2026 12:30pm - 1:30pm MDT
TBA

Thursday July 16, 2026 12:30pm - 1:30pm MDT
TBA
  General Session

1:45pm MDT

Bridging Explicit Instruction with Indigenous Genius by Design (IGbD)
Thursday July 16, 2026 1:45pm - 3:15pm MDT
TBA
This session is designed for educators who want to honor the rigor of Native Literature while ensuring every student has the cognitive tools to access it. We will explore how Explicit Instruction (EI)—typically viewed as a "Western" pedagogical tool—can be decolonized and repurposed to serve the transfer of Indigenous knowledge, values, and joy.
Speakers
JA
Thursday July 16, 2026 1:45pm - 3:15pm MDT
TBA
  Breakout Session E

1:45pm MDT

Designing with Relatives: Indigenous Mentorship and the Native Auntie Way of Learning
Thursday July 16, 2026 1:45pm - 3:15pm MDT
TBA
Many Indigenous educators grow professionally through relationships rather than formal professional development systems. Mentorship from aunties, elders, colleagues, and community members often teaches ways of observing, responding, and caring for others that shape how we approach leadership and learning. This interactive session begins with a personal story from the facilitator’s upbringing on...
See More →
Speakers
avatar for April Yazza (Diné and A:shiwi)

April Yazza (Diné and A:shiwi)

Doctoral Candidate, University of New Mexico
Yá’át’ééh! My name is April Brannon Yazza. I am of the Red Running into the Water People clan, born for the A:shiwi people, and I am originally from Tsayatoh, New Mexico on the Navajo Nation. Today I serve communities across Albuquerque and Santa Fe.

I am a doctoral candidate in the Native Americans in Educational Leadership program at the University of New Mexico, where our work centers Indigenous pedagogy, community-rooted research, and leadership grounded in cultural values. I am also a proud NACA-Inspired Schools Network... Read More →
Thursday July 16, 2026 1:45pm - 3:15pm MDT
TBA
  Breakout Session E

1:45pm MDT

Indigenous Inclusive Education: Storytelling to Create Inclusive Environments for All Our Relations
Thursday July 16, 2026 1:45pm - 3:15pm MDT
TBA
This session is built from my PhD and Spencer Foundation funded research to explore Indigenous perspectives of disability from Turtle Island to Aotearoa. I begin with a Diné ancestral story of Locust and Snail Girl, to challenge deficit framing of ability and expand ways for educators to reframe understandings of disability. I move on to share how similar resonating stories and perspectives are...
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Speakers
avatar for Dr. Sandra Yellowhorse
Thursday July 16, 2026 1:45pm - 3:15pm MDT
TBA
  Breakout Session E

1:45pm MDT

Interactive Journaling: Art-Based Practices for Story, Reflection, and Learning
Thursday July 16, 2026 1:45pm - 3:15pm MDT
TBA
This interactive workshop introduces interactive journaling as a creative and reflective learning practice that educators can use across grade levels to support engagement with Native literature, storytelling, and land-based learning. Participants will explore how combining writing, drawing, and visual storytelling in a journal format can help students process ideas, respond to literature, and...
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Speakers
avatar for Ruth Riley (Acoma)
Thursday July 16, 2026 1:45pm - 3:15pm MDT
TBA
  Breakout Session E

1:45pm MDT

ISI 101
Thursday July 16, 2026 1:45pm - 3:15pm MDT
TBA
In this session, participants will learn about the story of the ISI, from early days in 2023 to the launch of the open-access curriculum. There will be an opportunity to hear the story of the project as well as to explore the resources and start thinking about how to adapt or localize the resources in diverse contexts.
Speakers
avatar for Paul LeFrancois

Paul LeFrancois

K12 Education Program Coordinator, LANL Foundation
Driven by a passion for place-based teaching and learning and a deep belief in public education, Paul LeFrancois serves as the K12 Education Program Manager for the LANL Foundation. In this role, he is responsible for coordinating the Indigenous Science Initiative and the National... Read More →
Thursday July 16, 2026 1:45pm - 3:15pm MDT
TBA
  Breakout Session E

1:45pm MDT

Localizing Native Literature: A Rooted & Rising Approach to Indigenous Genius by Design
Thursday July 16, 2026 1:45pm - 3:15pm MDT
TBA
This presentation demonstrates how teachers and school leaders can make curriculum their own by centering local land, language, identity, and community knowledge. At NACA Elementary, localization is a professional stance. It positions educators as curriculum authors who design standards-aligned learning experiences rooted in the Nations represented in our student body. Through the Rooted and...
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Speakers
avatar for Stacey Alana Coonsis (Diné)
Thursday July 16, 2026 1:45pm - 3:15pm MDT
TBA
  Breakout Session E

1:45pm MDT

Teaching Through Zines: Land-Based Literacies for Creating, Healing, and Learning
Thursday July 16, 2026 1:45pm - 3:15pm MDT
TBA
The goal of this workshop is to help our fellow teachers and relatives respond to the ancient, contemporary and future need of individuals, communities and nations to carry, nurture and create stories in relation to our experiences as land-based peoples. Students must have experiences on the land in order to honorably find, nurture and create stories that are relevant to continuing our land...
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Speakers
avatar for Joshua Frank Cardenas

Joshua Frank Cardenas

University of New Mexico
Dr. Joshua Frank Cárdenas (Kanienʼkehá꞉ka-Rotinoshonni/White) is an Assistant Professor of Education at UNM Valencia. He has worked in education since 2003, teaching Pre-K to Ph.D. and began teaching at the college level in 2012. He has taught multiple PreK and K-12 settings... Read More →
avatar for Zoey “ZJ” Johnson

Zoey “ZJ” Johnson

Zoey “ZJ” Johnson is an artist, student, and mentor working outside of the gender binary. Based in their work with zines and youth resistance, they focus their efforts around performance, community, and joy as disruption. Having just graduated with their Masters in Communication... Read More →
Thursday July 16, 2026 1:45pm - 3:15pm MDT
TBA
  Breakout Session E

3:30pm MDT

Conference Closing and Giveaways
Thursday July 16, 2026 3:30pm - 4:00pm MDT
TBA

Thursday July 16, 2026 3:30pm - 4:00pm MDT
TBA
  General Session
 
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4th Annual Indigenous Education Symposium
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Flock of Moons Brewing Company
TBA
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