Melissa Candelaria is the Education Director and Attorney at the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty, and co-counsel for the Yazzie Plaintiffs in the Yazzie/Martinez v. State of New Mexico lawsuit.  Melissa has extensive policy, legal, and advocacy experience and a lifelong commitment to serving the Native American community.  Melissa is a member of the Pueblo of San Felipe.  In her previous work with tribal, federal, and state governments, Melissa focused on a wide range of policy issues including Indian education, health, child welfare, tribal courts, and the promotion and protection of tribal sovereignty.  Melissa has a Juris Doctor with a Certificate in Indian Law from the University of New Mexico School of Law.

 Bernard Chimoni M.Ed. (Zuni) K’yak’yali:Kwe deyan Shohkwida:kwe a:wan cha’le-is of the Eagle clan and a child of the Deer clan. He is a member of the A:shiwi Nation-Zuni Pueblo Nation. He is a life-long learner and educator. In the past twenty-five of service to American Indian Education, Bernard has been a k-12 grade teacher, Zuni language and cultural teacher, bilingual education teacher, and a school principal. Bernard is an advocate for bilingual education and multi-cultural education that infuses culturally responsive teaching, and his educational leadership frameworks is based on culturally responsive school leadership. Bernard recently completed community service as vice-president with the New Mexico Association for Bilingual Education (NMABE). He is currently a doctoral student (Ed. D) in the Native American Leadership in Education (NALE) Cohort at the University of New Mexico. He has a B.A. and M.A. in education from the University of New Mexico and a M. Ed. in school leadership from the Pennsylvania State University.  

Kari Deswood (Diné) is Táabaah'á (Water Edge Clan), T'aaneeszahnii (Tangle People), T'aachinii (Red Running into the Water People), and Ma'ii deeshgizhnii (Coyote Pass People of the Jemez Clan).  An alumna of Fort Lewis College, Kari also holds a master’s degree in educational leadership from Pennsylvania State University and is completing her doctorate in Higher Education Leadership at Colorado State University.  With 19 years of experience in education, including five years in public schools and 14 years in higher education, Kari specializes in social justice education and culturally responsive pedagogy. She currently serves as a Senior Lecturer in the Teacher Education Department at Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO.  In her free time, she enjoys walking her dogs, playing tennis, and traveling with her husband and daughter.

 Shannon Johnson (Diné) is Tódichiinii (Bitter Water) and born for Tsénjikiní (Honey-combed Rock/Cliff Dwellers). Her maternal grandfathers are Tótsohnii (Big Water). Her paternalgrandfathers are Kinłichiinii (Red House). She is from Seba Dalkai, Arizona which is located in the southwestern part of the Navajo Nation. Mrs. Johnson is a Diné Language Bilingual Coordinator with the Albuquerque Public Schools Indian Education Department in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from the University of Arizona. She earned her master’s degree in Language, Literacy & Sociocultural Studies from the University of New Mexico, with a concentration in American Indian Education. She obtained her Education Specialist certificate and Administrator’s license through UNM’s POLLENEducational Leadership Program. She taught for nineteen years and worked at the district-level for four years with bilingual programming. She has taught students in Pre-K to adults and has presented at many bilingual conferences. Her interest in mentoring Diné language teachers on second language acquisition strategies and methodologies while using culturally sustaining/revitalizing pedagogies (CSRP) to facilitate student learning gives her a firsthand understanding of the importance of Indigenous youth knowing and understanding THEIR language and culture. She is currently doing collaborative work with NACA Inspired Schools Network (NISN) to recruit and train Diné language teachers and is part of the Dual Language Education New Mexico (DLeNM) Indigenous Education Framework Working Group developing a three-year curriculum project under the direction of the Heinrich’s Tribal Grant.

 Nicole Swentzell and I am from Santo Domingo Pueblo. I graduated from Fort Lewis College with a B.A. in Native American & Indigenous Studies and received my M.A. in Native American Studies at the University of New Mexico. I am currently the Deputy Director in the Department of Youth and Learning for Santa Clara Pueblo. I am also a second-year student in the Native American Studies Ph.D. Program at the University of New Mexico.  Before I went back to school to become an educator, I made a career in the field of outdoor education for over ten years. I guided backpacking trips into the Grand Canyon for the United World College and Fort Lewis College. I also led summer leadership programs for the Institute of American Indian Arts and the World Leadership School. I enjoy teaching, working with youth and being outdoors. I am also passionate about decolonizing processes, promoting Indigenous knowledge and values through education and culturally relevant philosophies. During my own journey in higher education, I was inspired by instructors that came from the same backgrounds as myself. It made a huge difference to have educators that respect our values and commitment to community and Indigenous worldviews. As a Pueblo woman, I know on a deep level what it means to be part of a community, and I believe education should reflect that.

 Porter Swentzell is an enrolled member of Santa Clara Pueblo, New Mexico. He is the Executive Director of Kha’p’o Community School, and serves as a Regent for Northern New Mexico College, and on several non-profit boards. Previously, Porter was an Associate Professor of Indigenous Liberal Studies at the Institute of American Indian Arts where he held roles as a Department Chair and Associate Dean. Porter has also served his Pueblo as a Tribal Official.

 Marcella Talamante PhD, is an enrolled member of the Jicarilla Apache Nation. Marcella strives to promote and provide inclusive learning environments for young people and adults to gain confidence in taking positive risks. She dedicates her efforts to providing educational opportunities to assist in improving communities. Marcella is an experienced educator, knowledgeable about non-formal, hands-on, experiential educational experiences, and has a deep-rooted passion for education and providing opportunities for others to gain knowledge and skills to help improve their lives and quality of living.  Marcella served as an Extension 4-H Youth Development agent and Associate Professor at New Mexico State University for thirteen years, before joining the Dulce Independent School District in August 2022, as the Community Education Liaison. Serving her home community, Marcella strives to be a highly productive, strategic planner, and organized project leader; creative and resourceful problem solver with the ability to adapt to changing demands. Marcella embraces diversity and draws upon personal lived experiences to support the successes of other.