4th Annual Indigenous Education Symposium: Full Schedule

2:45pm MDT

Designing an Equitable High School Classroom

Wednesday July 15, 2026 2:45pm - 4:45pm MDT

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

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 the Navajo Nation, reflecting on early lessons learned from aunties and elders about observation, responsibility, and relational accountability. These experiences introduce the idea that Indigenous mentorship is a form of professional learning that continues to influence how educators design learning environments today.

Participants will engage in guided reflection to identify the mentors and community members who shaped their own approaches to teaching and leadership. Through collaborative discussion and simple mapping activities, participants will explore how Indigenous values such as relational accountability, observation, and collective responsibility can inform classroom design and professional practice.

Aligned with the principles of Indigenous Genius by Design, this session centers community knowledge, teacher expertise, and relational learning. Participants will leave with practical ideas for incorporating Indigenous mentorship and values into their teaching and professional growth.

Speakers

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 ways to integrate wellness into Science curriculum
* Learn about and consider incorporation of Indigenous knowledge and perspectives within the classroom
* Practice strategies for self-regulation and restoration to mitigate effects of teaching burn-out

Speakers

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 Indigenous Science Initiative, 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

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, specifically immersion schools, or other indigenous-centered schools who are beginning their NativeLit programs.

Speakers

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 →

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

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 a service mindset and consider how science classes can better support stewardship of the Land.

Speakers

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 “American” is unique, and leave with practical strategies to bring land-based, identity-centered storytelling into any classroom.

Speakers

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