The Speakers

Phefelia Nez, First Lady of the Navajo Nation

Dawn Yazzie

Panel: Early Childhood Response to COVID-19

Dr. Christine Begay Vining & Lyn Wilson King

Panel: Mutual Aid Response to Families During COVID-19

Phefelia Nez, First Lady of the Navajo Nation

Phefelia Nez was born in Keams Canyon, AZ and raised on Hopi Partition Land in Big Mountain, AZ. She is married to Jonathan Nez and mother of two children. She is the daughter of David and Julia Herbert. She grew up in a traditional Hogan without modern amenities and has always spent time outdoors tending to livestock, the corn and vegetable field. Having ample outdoor space, she enjoyed a childhood of running, hiking and biking.

Phefelia Nez earned Bachelor of Science degrees in Political Science (with an emphasis in Comparative and International Politics) and Criminal Justice from Northern Arizona University. She also has 27 credit hours in the Master of Public Administration at NAU. She is also an alumni of ASU Lodestar Center’s Generation Next Nonprofit Leadership Academy Class V.

First Lady Nez also serves as a member representing the parent seat on the First Things First Navajo Nation Regional Partnership Council.

Dawn Yazzie

Dawn A. Yazzie, MA, NCC, works as an Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant for a program called Smart Support at Southwest Human Development in Arizona. The program is funded by the Arizona First Things First statewide initiative. Dawn also works with the national Center of Excellence for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (CoE for IECMHC) with Georgetown University and is a partner with the Children’s Equity Project. Dawn has experience in providing national technical assistance, and experience in providing national trainings on Infant Toddler Mental Health and IECMHC within the context of Tribal communities and more locally, within the Navajo cultural context. She also provides IECMHC services to preschools, early care centers and home visitors on the Navajo Nation. Dawn Yazzie also serves as Chair of the Navajo Nation Regional Partnership Council.

Ms. Yazzie's plenary will focus on the intergenerational transmission of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), how to address early childhood development needs and ideas for addressing ACEs to build resilience within communities across the Navajo Nation. This session will also explore the need for Navajo Nation programs and systems to move toward providing specialized support to their staff who provide services for young children and their families. The specialized support can be done by an evidence-based strategy called Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC). This can be a system built to support programs and services on the Navajo Nation. Examples of how different service providers can support families with an Infant Toddler Mental Health lens will be shared from the following fields: Early Intervention, health professionals, and other professionals that work to support families. Suggestions will be provided and requested for from attendees on how the Navajo Nation system can further support young children and their families (e.g. from chapter houses, WIC programs, health/pediatric clinics, Navajo Nation courts, utility companies, etc.).

Panel: Early Childhood Response to COVID-19

COVID-19 has changed life in many ways for many people. Our children remain resilient as their development, growth and learning has not paused during this stressful time. Supporting children and their families is as important as ever. Panelists include early childhood stakeholders from Navajo Head Start, Chinle Unified School District Pre-Kindergarten, Growing In Beauty and the Tuba City Regional Health Care Center Pediatric Clinic. They will discuss how early educators, early interventionists and health care providers have adjusted and are continuing to provide services to young children and families across the Navajo Nation during the pandemic.

Dr. Christine Begay Vining & Lyn Wilson King

Dr. Vining and Ms. King will present on the "Strategies to Support the Well-Being of Navajo Children through Uncertain Times" during her session. This session will address western and Dine’ perspectives in understanding the well-being of Navajo children including children with developmental disabilities. The presenters will provide strategies that families can implement to support their children with developmental needs during this challenging time.

Christine Begay Vining, PhD., CCC-SLP, is a Bilingual Navajo Speech-Language Pathologist. Chris has worked with individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities, their families, and communities throughout New Mexico in a variety of educational and clinical settings. She currently provides clinical services, training, and technical assistance at the University of New Mexico, Center for Development & Disability. She is a faculty member in the NM Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) program, an interdisciplinary training program that strives to improve the lives of individuals and families with or at risk of neurodevelopmental and related disabilities. She strives to improve systems of care and education with emphasis on rural, underserved areas including Native American communities.

Lyn Wilson is a Program Specialist at the University of New Mexico Center for Development and Disability with the Autism Programs. She previously managed the Native American Initiative of the Brain Injury Resource Center also at UNM and the New Mexico Perinatal Oral Health Project. Lyn has over 20 years of experience in project leadership and development. Among others, she has worked with grassroots organizations, statewide advocacy groups, and the State of New Mexico Department of Health developing and implementing various community and health initiatives. Notably, she helped facilitate the development of the New Mexico Assembly on School-Based Health care, now the New Mexico Alliance on School-Based Health Care, to strengthen and advocate for culturally competent health care in schools. Her passion and specialty is working with tribal communities. She has worked extensively with the Navajo Nation, Pueblos and Apache tribes as well as other tribes throughout the US. She also has substantial experience working with rural communities in the Southwest.

Marlo McCabe

Marlo McCabe was born and raised on The Navajo Reservation. She is the Parent Awareness and Community Outreach Specialist to the First Things First Navajo Nation Region. Her most important role is being the matriarch to her family as a wife, mother and grandmother. Marlo has experience working with communities on the Navajo Reservation in the areas of customer service, finance, retail and early childhood awareness and outreach.

Ms. McCabe will provide the "Early Childhood Everyday" training where attendees will learn how to effectively spread the word and be a champion for early childhood in their communities.

Radmilla Cody

John Running Photography

Radmilla Cody is of the Tł’ááshchí’í (Red Bottom People) clan and is born for the Naahiłii (African-Americans). Radmilla is a GRAMMY Nominee, NPR’s 50 Great Voices, multiple Native American Music Awards Nominee, international performer, a former Miss Navajo Nation, and the founder of the “Strong Spirit: Life is Beautiful not Abusive” campaign which brings awareness to teen dating violence. Her music and advocacy work has been a form of resistance against multiple colonial forces such as patriarchy, anti-blackness and anti-indigeneity. Radmilla was awarded the “Black History Makers Award 2012” from Initiative Radio and was selected as the first Native American awards presenter at the 55th GRAMMY Pre- Telecast Awards Ceremony.

Ms. Cody will give the Keynote Address at this year's 2020 Virtual Diné Early Childhood Summit.

Dr. Sara Clancey

Sara Clancey, PhD., MOTR/L, IMH-E® holds a Ph.D. in Infant and Early Childhood Development with a focus on Infant Mental Health. She is a registered Occupational Therapist who has specialized in serving families of young children with disabilities from under served populations who live on rural and tribal lands. She also collaborates with a variety of interdisciplinary groups around Northern Arizona to advocate for and coordinate services for children with mental, behavioral and developmental disorders from under served populations.

Dr. Clancey will present "The Factors Affecting Brain Growth and Development." In this session, we will discuss how different factors promote or inhibit health brain development. The objectives include identifying factors that affect brain growth and development, understanding the effect of stress on brain growth and development and learning about the 5 R's for supporting health brain growth and development.

Albert M. Pooley

Albert M. Pooley is the Founder and President of Native American Fatherhood & Families Association. He was born to the Hopi and Navajo cultures. He grew up close to both cultures on the reservation where the love of a father taught him outstanding life lessons. Since 2001, Mr. Pooley has worked with over 300 tribes and agencies in establishing culturally informed programs that promote healthy parental involvement in creating happy and safe homes for children. He holds a Masters of Social Work (MSW) and Masters of Public Administration (MPA) and has extensive experience as a marriage and family counselor. He appreciates the role of being a father and he finds joy in teaching principles that are relevant to his Native American culture.

Mr. Pooley will present on "Indigenous Fatherhood" during his session. "Indigenous Fatherhood" provides an overview of the Fatherhood is Sacred course that strengthens families by responsibly involving fathers in the lives of their children, families, communities and partnering with mothers to provide happy and safe families.

Panel: Mutual Aid Response to Families During COVID-19

Mutual aid entails what’s often called “solidarity not charity," and it embodies a spirit of empathy, generosity, and dignity. When the Navajo Nation was severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, grassroots mutual aid groups and Navajo Nation departments were determined in their organizing efforts to supply Diné families affected by COVID-19 with food, drinking water, hand washing stations and care packages. In order to successfully foster healthy development for young children, a basic level of needs must be met. Mutual Aid response has helped to meet those needs since March 2020. The panel will discuss how mutual aid groups are guided through the cultural practice of K’é (kinship) as well as their efforts, experiences and the opportunities to expand their work serving Diné families post COVID-19.

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