Category Archive

Aloha mai kākou! I am a māmā of three keiki from Kaua’i, Hawai’i. I have a master’s degree in Education: Curriculum and Instruction and have worked within the education field for the past 15 years. My passion is to serve ʻohana, provide meaningful learning experiences for keiki, and to create positive impacts within our communities. I believe that we are …

Dr. Wendy K’ah Skáahluwaa Todd is a Xaadas scientist, educator, and Assistant Professor of Natural Sciences at the University of Alaska Southeast Juneau. Her work focuses on bridging Indigenous Knowledge and Western science through place-based, culturally responsive education that strengthen connections amongst community, culture, language, and the natural world. Dr. Todd has collaborated with Tribal Nations, schools, universities, federal agencies, …

Gertrude J Noden, founder of Words Into Deeds (WID), Inc., recognized by national and international organizations and institutes of higher learning, brings over two decades experience as classroom teacher and NGO outreach program developer. Using the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Sustainable Development Goals as guiding frameworks, she continues to bring thousands of students’ ideas to fruition through …

Caydden Gordon-Baker is a Sealaska member and a Tlingit and Haida descendant engaged in 13 Moons: Knowing Who I Am and Where I Come From ©, an Indigenous classroom-to-place-based learning approach. He serves in a 300-hour AmeriCorps position with Whiteswan Environmental at Whatcom Intergenerational High School and is a member of the Class of 2026. Through this work, he developed …

Naomi Michalsen, Kaasei (Tlingit), is Wooshkeetaan, Eagle/Wolf of the Shark House of Berners Bay, Alaska. Her work focuses on wellness, education and violence prevention through connecting people to native plants and foods, cultural traditions, and community. In 2017, Naomi founded Kaasei Training & Consulting, dba Kaasei Indigenous Foodways, offering workshops, wellness retreats, teacher trainings, presentations and food and plant medicine …

Miakah Nix (Haida & Tsimshian) is a regional contractor working with several Kake leadership entities on culture and food security programming. On behalf of the Organized Village of Kake, Miakah supports multiple programs, including Indigenous Guardians, Food Security, TIDES/Black Seaweed Monitoring, and Native Kelp Farming Initiatives. On behalf of the Kake Tribal Heritage Foundation, Miakah hosts subsistence education workshops for …

Anna Neelaatʉghaa Clock is Koyukon Athabascan and Eyak on her father’s side. She grew up in Seward, Alaska, and has been teaching Tlingit and Koyukon as a full-time contractor since 2022. She was trained to teach Native languages at University of Alaska Southeast as part of the Sealaska Heritage Institute Our Language Pathways scholarship program. Her mentors are Shirley Kendall …

Dugan Coburn, BS, is a member of the Blackfeet Nation (Amskapi Pikuni) of Northern Montana, with roots also in the Klamath and Pitt River tribes of Oregon. He grew up in Klamath, Oregon, Browning, Montana, and Salem, Oregon, and has lived in Great Falls, Montana, for the past 30 years. His Indian name is Saaam Matapi, “Healing Person.” Dugan is …

Koogak’aax (Angela Lunda) is a life-long Alaskan of the Tlingít tribe, Ch’aak (Eagle) moiety, Kaagwaantaan (Wolf) clan, and the Sitka Déix X’awool’ja Hít (Two-Door House) with more than three decades as a teacher and administrator. She is passionate about equity in education and ensuring that all students receive a quality education in a culturally safe and nurturing environment. As the …

Krista Pitsch has spent 20 years working in higher education where her primary focus was serving Indigenous students. Currently, Krista works at the Kenaitze Indian Tribe as the Education & Career Development Manager where she oversees areas that provide wrap-around services for “cradle to career” programming.  In addition to her professional accomplishments, Krista is also a wife and mother of …