Speakers Bios
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Dr. Mario Garza is an elder of the Meakan/Garzas Band of the Coahuiltecan people indigenous to the Texas and northeastern Mexico area. He has a multi-disciplinary Ph.D. from Michigan State University and he currently researches and presents educational lectures about Native Americans. Dr. Garza has decades of involvement in the Native American community, including repatriation of remains, successful development of indigenous nonprofits, re-establishment of ceremonial sites, Native arts and events, and political issues. |
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Mark Standing Eagle Baezreceived his B.A. from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio and his Masters in Psychology from North Central University in Prescott, Arizona. He is working on his Ph.D. in General Psychology. He and his family live on the Navajo Reservation where he has taught a drum group to local Dine’ school students ranging from high school to elementary. As a Mental Health Counselor, Baez has created several talking circles and awareness groups for the school district of Window Rock. Baez is Mohawk, Pawnee, and Coahuiltecan. Link to Baez article “Significant Partnerships With Native American Students, Parents, and Schools: A Sweetgrass Method“ |
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Carlos Aceves is an educator with 15 years experience in early childhood education. His Masters in Educational Psychology is from the University of Texas at El Paso. The Xinachtli Project is featured as a chapter in the newly published book: Undoing Whiteness in the Classroom: Critical Education Approaches, edited by Virginia Lea. The text, published internationally by Peter Lang Publishers, is a primer for educators and poltical activitists struggling for de-colonization in public education. The Xinachtli Project is sponsored by Kalpulli Tlalteca and has been active in the El Paso area since 1990 and for the past 13 years at Canutillo Elementary School. |
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Cemelli de Aztlan was raised in El Paso, Texas, deeply immersed in the ancient traditions of her Mexica ancestors. Currently she is an intern at the North American Indian Center of Boston as well as a graduate student at Harvard Divinity School where she studies the religious dimensions of the Meso-American traditions and the impact Christianity has had on indigenous religions both in the americas and the world. Through her studies she hopes to mend the disconnect that has torn indigneous people from their land, culture and spirituality through advocacy work on the borderlands. |
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Ricardo Arreazola and Cristina Salazar are the founders of Cuicani In Xochitl, an Aztec dance group that works to preserve and promote Mexican native culture. They teach mesoamerican traditions sponsored by the Office of Cultural Affairs in the Dallas school area. Both are active practitioners of indigenous spirituality; and as such they dance and play ancient percussion instruments as part of their training. |
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Julia Nava is a professional artist for more than fifteen years, who shows her work at Indian Markets throughout the Southwest. She teaches at the prestigious San Antonio School of Cultural Arts and provides art classes at various schools in San Antonio. Ms. Nava is Apache. |
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Kathy Lynn , a Cherokee Nation member, is a descendant of Pathkiller, Principal Chief before the Trail of Tears. Professional storyteller, author, and presenter, Kathy travels throughout the United States, educating and sharing history and stories from her Cherokee heritage. She is also the author of four historical novels about a few of her Cherokee ancestors. Kathy currently resides in Port Lavaca, Texas. |