Planning Committee

Daisy Thompson, Ph.D., Diné Albuquerque Public Schools – Indian Education Senior Director

Dr. Thompson, a member of the Navajo Tribe and of the Red Streak into the Water Clan and born for the Salt Clan. Dr. Thompson has worked extensively in the field of special education, elementary education, and educational administration as a teacher and school administrator in Arizona and New Mexico. Fluent in the Navajo language, Dr. Thompson has been identified as an education scholar in special education and educational leadership nationally and internationally. She has done two study visits to the University of Oxford/St. Peter’s College while a student at UNM. Her research interests include special education, educational leadership, American Indian education, and Indigenous Education.

Craig Garcia, is a teacher and Councilman from the Pueblo of Acoma. He received his B.A. from the University of New Mexico and is currently pursuing his Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership at New Mexico Highlands University. He is in his seventh year of his teaching career, all of them spent at Cibola High School. Prior to beginning his educational career, Craig was a behavior management skills specialist for an intensive outpatient program at Streetwise, Inc. in Albuquerque. In addition to teaching, he is the sponsor of the Native American Club at school and an administrative intern. His goal is to give Native students the opportunity to feel a sense of belonging, a way to network with others and to provide them a chance to stand out at Cibola. Along with the assistance of his members and other clubs, he is in charge of coordinating their annual pow wow event in the Spring and the Best Buddies Holiday Arts and Crafts Show in the Fall. After school, he is the gym master for home events. He currently resides in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. Craig can be contacted at craig.garcia@aps.edu.

Jered Lee, FNCH Cultural Care Provider, from Albuquerque, with my ancestral roots deriving from the Ni’hooch’idi..Nahashch’idi…”Naschitti Region” of the Navaho reservation. I am a single parent to one son, and

adoptive parent to two nieces and one nephew. I am currently employed as a Cultural Services Provider with First Nations Community Healthsource – Traditional Wellness Program. I will say that my experience in living far outweighs my educational experiences. I value the knowledge, intelligence, artistry, and healthy life expression of indigenous culture and look to share the positive attributes of character development and healthy

self-identity with our children venturing through the educational system.

Raymond M. Keeswood, Jr., is a member of the Navajo Tribe residing in San Juan County in the community of Tse’ Daa’ Kaan’ (Hogback, NM). He is of the Yucca Fruit People and born for Red Streak Running into the Water People. He works at Navajo Division of Behavioral and Mental Health Services in Shiprock, NM as a Certified Prevention Specialist and a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Addiction Counselor.

Tehya Barber, Dine from the Navajo Nation. She was raised in Kirtland, New Mexico but her family is originally from Sanostee, New Mexico. Currently, she is a junior at Eldorado High School and a dual credit student at her local community college in Albuquerque, NM. She is a former Kirtland Middle School Princess, former Miss Northern Navajo Teen, and a former Miss Indian New Mexico Teen and currently, she is the High School Student Representative for the APS Indian Education Committee. Tehya sees great opportunity for Native students in the Albuquerque community and strives to help more students take advantage of the great resources available to them. She is motivated by the potential in our youth and loves to see their participation in leadership, academic, and cultural activities and she strongly believes her voice is important in decisions regarding our future generations. Tehya is honored to be the Mistress of Ceremony for day one and day three of the Spring 2021 Healthy Native Youth Virtual Conference.

Lorenzo Jim, Dine/Navajo, is a Licensed Alcohol/Drug Abuse Counselor and certified Traditional Counselor/Hataalii with the Dine Hataalii Association currently managing the Native American Traditional Wellness & Integrative Care Program at First Nations Community HealthSource, a Title V Urban American Indian Health Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Mr. Jim has extensive knowledge and experience in program/curriculum development toward the integration of Native American Traditional/Cultural wellness and curative processes into modern health care, legal, educational and social systems.

His professional background includes military/federal counter-drug leadership, law enforcement corrections and substance addictions counselor in both inpatient/outpatient integrated treatment programs for juveniles and adults. He provides cultural care programming for Bernalillo County Metropolitan & 2nd Judicial District Drug Courts. He is currently a Cultural Services Provider at the Children, Youth & Families Department, Juvenile Justice Services and is a Native American Care Chaplain at the University of New Mexico Hospital.

Cody St. Arnold, Cody St. Arnold (Jicarilla Apache/Keweenaw Bay Ojibwe) is the Health Communications Specialist/Graphic Designer at the Albuquerque Area Southwest Tribal Epidemiology Center. After printmaking and selling artwork around the country and Albuquerque for the last decade, Cody now uses his graphic specialties to promote health education and communication for Indigenous communities and more. He is the designer of the artwork for the Spring 2021 HNYVC and enjoys promoting his designs through his Instagram (@codysaintarnold) and on his website: codysaintarnold.studio

Philip Farson, Philip Farson is a child of the Indian Health Service, former Tuba City, Arizona spelling bee champion and former president of the Alaska Association for Bilingual Education. In Alaska he worked for the official recognition by the State of Alaska of all Alaska Native languages and served as director of the English Language Learners Program for the Anchorage School District. Currently he works for APS as the Instructional Manager for the Indian Education Department.

Denica Tafoya, is originally from Santo Domingo Pueblo, New Mexico and is currently living in Durango, Colorado where she is a junior at Fort Lewis College, studying Early Childhood Education. Along with being a student, Tafoya is a part of the Fort Lewis College Pueblo Alliance and is currently serving as the 2021-2022 Fort Lewis College Hozhoni Ambassador.

Mila Padilla, was born and raised in Shiwina (Zuni Pueblo) by strong women. Mila’s clans are Dakkya:kwe (Frog) and child of the Shohkwida:kwe (Deer clan). Currently, Mila is a Shiwi’ma Bena:we teacher for the APS Indian Education Department serving thirty A:shiwi students. Mila understands her students because she too, is a second language learner. Mila has a Bachelor’s degree in Native American Studies from the University of New Mexico. Mila will be presenting with her students about the importance of learning Shiwi’ma Bena:we.

Bernard Chimoni, Bernard Chimoni is an educator with over 25 years teaching and administrative experience. He has been involved in American Indian education programs as a regular education teacher, a bilingual teacher and a principal. He has taught with the Zuni Public School District and the Bureau of Indian Education. As the Zuni language teacher, with the APS’ Indian Education Department, he works with the development of teacher resources for teaching the Zuni language instruction that includes culturally and linguistically responsive teaching that results in language acquisition. Bernard is also an adjunct instructor with the Institute for the Institute of American Indian Arts’ high school dual credit native language program. 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. Bernard is Eagle and a child of the Deer clan.

Jason Thomas, is a member of the Pueblo of Laguna and teaches Special Education students Science in APS at Atrisco Heritage Academy. He is also the sponsor of the Native American Student Union at AHA. He has a Masters Degree in SPED form NMHU and a Bachelors in Biology from the University of Alaska Southeast.

John Williams, APS Indian Education High School Resource Teacher and founder of Native Roots.