People

Dustin Whitford

Wikahskiseno - SweetGrass OldMan

Dustin was raised on the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation all his life and is now raising his four children Watson, Dinay Cree, Miyoskamin and Kisikoskwew along with his Wife Winter on the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation where they are active participants of local ceremonies and members of the Native American Church. Dustin is a graduate of the University of Montana with a Native American Studies and an Anthropology baccalaureate degree. Dustin served the Chippewa Cree tribe in many capacities such as: Cree Language Instructor at the Stone Child College, Associate Judge at the Chippewa Cree Tribal Courts, Business Committee Member on the Chippewa Cree Tribal Council. Dustin believes that the language is the key to saving the identity of the Chippewa Cree Tribe.

Susan Penfield

Susan Penfield has been writing grants to support indigenous language work for over 50 years. She has received funding with tribal partners from the Endangered Language fund, the National Science Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and more. She has also served as the director of the Documenting Endangered languages Program for the National Science Foundation and on the board for the Endangered Languages Program at the University of London (6 years). Although now officially retired from the University of Arizona, she continues to support community language efforts whenever possible.

Xavier Hawley

Xavier Hawley is a curriculum developer and educator from the Fort Belknap Indian Community in Montana. A 2018 graduate of Harlem High School, Xavier earned an Associate of Science in Environmental Science from Aaniiih Nakoda College before completing his bachelor’s degree in Ecology. During his studies, he began teaching Aaniiih language lessons at local Head Start programs through an internship with the Whiteclay Immersion School. Today, Xavier serves as a Curriculum Developer for the Whiteclay Immersion School, where he creates science curricula that integrate the Aaniiih (White Clay) language, worldview, and place.

Mizuki Miyashita

Mizuki Miyashita is a professor of linguistics and chair of the Department of Anthropology at the University of Montana. She earned her Ph.D. in Linguistics at the University of Arizona. She is engaged in Community-Based Research and established a network among the tribal stakeholders in the state of Montana through her Collaborative Language Planning Project. She has recorded lullabies and other songs, narratives, conversations, and isolated words in Blackfoot. Her current research focuses on the documentation and application of rhythm and melody in Blackfoot.

Naatosi Fish

Naatosi has centered revitalizing Blackfeet language and culture in his educational and career endeavors his whole life; Naatosi attended Nizipowahsin, the Blackfeet Immersion School in Browning Montana and continued his pursuit through his research at the University of Montana, teaching Blackfeet history and language at Blackfeet Community College, and developing Blackfeet language learning resources for educators. Naatosi co-published his research on Blackfoot prosody with Dr. Mizuki Miyashita in the 2017 Honoring Our Teachers monograph by Northern Arizona University. Naatosi currently works for Indigenous Impact Co. as a Communications and Marketing Manager, and is pursuing a master's degree in Native American Linguistics at the University of Arizona, Tucson.