Inaugural Indigenous Knowledge Symposium 2021
On March 19, 2021 MESAS held its Inaugural Indigenous Knowledge Symposium. The theme for the symposium was Identity, Sovereignty, and Indigenous Knowledge in Higher Education. The goal of the event was to bring together campus staff, faculty, and students to learn more about the importance of Indigenous Knowledge across various academic disciplines. The four speakers presented on how identity, sovereignty and indigenous knowledge have shaped their own work in earth science, education, language, and mental health.
The Inaugural Indigenous Knowledge Symposium was a virtual event and so we were able to invite academic institutions and others with related interests from around the country to participate in the event. We had over 160 participants join us from 45 other institutions. The overall feedback on the event was very positive and we look forward to creating the next event
If you were unable to attend our Inaugural Indigenous Knowledge Symposium and would like to view a recording of the event, please reach out to briana.kaufman@usu.edu.
Speakers
Earth Sciences
Margaret Redsteer, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences
University of Washington, Bothell
Dr. Margaret Redsteer is an Assistant Professor at the University of Washington, Bothell where she teaches climate change adaptation policy, natural hazards and human disasters, and environmental issues. Her research focuses on the linkages of climatic and earth surface processes, ecosystems and aeolian sediment transport, as well as how climate and land use have affected the traditional livelihoods of Indigenous people.
Education
Cynthia Benally, Ed.D. (Diné)
Assistant Professor of Native American Education
Department of Education, Culture, & Society
University of Utah
Cynthia Benally (Diné) is an assistant professor of Native American Education in the Department of Education, Culture and Society at the University of Utah. Her research focuses on the intersection of educational policies, curriculum and instruction and Native peoples and nations.
Indigenous Knowledge & Language
Samantha Benn-Duke, Ph.D. (Cherokee Nation)
Assistant Professor of Curriculum & Instruction
Northeastern State University
Samantha prepares teacher candidates to teach diverse students, including Native students, for which Oklahoma has the highest number. She is the Past-President of the Oklahoma Council for Indian Education and was the 2016 Oklahoma Indian Educator of the Year.
Mental Health
Melissa Leilani Devencenzi, M.S. Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian)
Counseling Psychology Doctoral Intern
Counseling and Psychological Services
Utah State University, Logan
Melissa Leilani (Kanaka Maoli) is a Counseling Psychology doctoral intern at Utah State University's Counseling and Psychological Services. Her research focuses on well-being in relation to intersecting identities for Indigenous peoples. Her clinical practice focuses on decolonizing mental health through Native healing and strengths-based, culturally appropriate practices.
Organized by the Mentoring and Encouraging Student Academic Success (MESAS) program at Utah State University with funding from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute