4th Annual Indigenous Education Symposium: Full Schedule

10:00am MDT

Bridging Explicit Instruction with Indigenous Genius by Design (IGbD)

Wednesday July 15, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am MDT

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

Jenny Atcitty (Diné)

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 beyond. Teaching texts rhetorically promotes students’ agency and resilience by empowering them to transform their learning for new purposes. The units provided by the Native Literature Design Program encompass this approach.

No curriculum is perfect and for many secondary ELA teachers, the curriculum we have been given is often imperfect. Curriculum is equitable and effective when it acts as a “positive light” (142), to use Gholdy Muhammad’s description. Muhammad explains that “a quality curriculum provides teachers with guidance on how to approach, enhance, and customize lessons to meet the needs of their students” (157). When we use the tools of the Native Literature Design program and the framework from the California State University’s Expository Reading and Writing Curriculum (ERWC) we can create a curriculum that meets the needs of all of our students, gives students a voice, and celebrates the joy of Indigenous Genius.

In this session, participants learn how to level up literacy and language learning through a rhetorical approach to reading and composing. Using examples from California State University's Expository Reading and Writing Curriculum (ERWC) and the Native Literature Design Program, we explore teaching strategies and frameworks that promote transfer from reading to writing (and back again), between academic disciplines, and across genres and rhetorical situations. Most importantly, as part of the process of integrating these frameworks, participants will learn how to incorporate Indigenous knowledge into their existing curriculum.

Speakers

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 know who they are and where they fit in society. I use a number of books to establish Classroom Management and Classroom expectations. Examples of literature is Peta Shows Mesun the Light by Jessie Taken Alive - Rencountre and Gift Horse by SD Nelson. I also plug in the Lakota language into these teachings as much as possible. From these two books it is easier to establish Classroom Protocol.

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 communities work to protect it.

Speakers

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 different types of poetry, explore the connections between various forms of artistic expression (music, rap, drawing, photography) and poetry, and use poetry to deepen their connection to the land. We will connect this play back to the work of indigenous poets represented in the unit and think about how to empower students to interpret and create in this genre of writing.

Speakers

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

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 →

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 systems and how they are structured, in particular Tribal Education Departments, to help educators understand the scope of the work and services that they provide to their communities.
Building on this foundation, the session will focus on strategies for developing respectful and effective partnerships with Indigenous Communities, and will conclude with practical guidance and concrete steps participants can take to begin building meaningful relationships.

Speakers

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 "notice and wonder" protocol, participants generate questions about GMOs and consider their role in addressing global challenges, including feeding a population of over 8 billion people.
Through collaborative learning strategies such as a write-pair-share and movement-based discussion, participants actively construct understanding while engaging with their peers. A multimedia component introduces foundational scientific concepts behind genetic modification that prepares students to critically evaluate the benefits and risks of GMOs.
The most interactive participation is when students / participants are in a structured debate, examining multiple perspectives on GMOs, including environmental, cultural, ethical and economic impacts. This activity encourages critical thinking, evidence-based reasoning and respectful dialogue. Throughout the session, Indigenous Science principles-including respect, reciprocity and relationality- are woven into instruction by inviting students / participants to reflect on how scientific advancements intersect with indigenous values, land-based knowledge and community well-being.
By the end of the session, students / participants are not only understanding how GMOs are created and used but they also develop a more nuanced perspective on their implications, empowering them to think critically about science in real-world contexts.

Speakers