Agenda

Weaving Our Stories Conference

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

Tuesday - Thursday
September 23-25, 2025

We are grateful for our presenters who shared such engaging and valuable information.

Dash Icon   TUESDAY   Dash Icon

Pre-Conference Activities

7:00 am  |  BREAKFAST

Dining Icon   BREAKFAST PROVIDED

Registration check-in

Location Dot Icon   Bradford Lee Technology Building (BLT), Lower Level Commons Area (South Entrance)

7:30 am  |  TOUR

Hiking Icon  MONUMENT VALLEY CULTURAL TOUR

(Invitation only)

7:30 - 9:00 am
9:00 am - 12:00 pm
12:30 - 1:30 pm
1:30 - 3:00 pm
3:00 - 4:00 pm

Load the bus and travel to Monument Valley
Tour
Lunch - Provided for tour attendees
Return to Blanding
Refresh/Rest

Location Dot Icon  Meeting Location TBD

9:00 am  |  ACTIVITIES

Stacked Cubes Icon  COMMUNITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES

(For those not on the cultural tour)

9:00 - 10:00 am
10:30 am - 12:00 pm

Trail Walk/Hike (Zackary Gregory)
Edge of the Cedars State Park Guided Tour

Location Dot Icon Meeting Location TBD

12:00 pm  |  LUNCH

Dining Icon   LUNCH - ON YOUR OWN

(For those not on the cultural tour)

4:45 pm  |  DISCUSSION

Panel Group Icon  PANEL DISCUSSION

Native American Pedagogy & Mental Health

6:30 pm  |  DINNER

Dining Icon   DINNER PROVIDED

Performance by Sharmita Benally - "Weaving Our Future"

Location Dot Icon Blanding Arts & Event Center (BAEC) Auditorium

Dash Icon   WEDNESDAY  Dash Icon

8:00 am  |  BREAKFAST

Dining Icon   BREAKFAST PROVIDED

Registration check-in

Location Icon Bradford Lee Technology Building (BLT) Lower Level, Commons Area (South Entrance)

Optional activities
Weaving Our Future Art Exhibit
Digital History Project Exhibit
Location Dot Icon Health, Science, Library Building (HSL)

8:45 am  |  WELCOME

Feather Icon  TRADITIONAL BLESSING

Robert Charley

Hand Wave Icon  WELCOME ADDRESS

Donna Blake - Interim Associate Vice President, USU Blanding


Location Dot Icon Blanding Arts & Events Center (BAEC) Auditorium

8:45 am  |  KEYNOTE

Key Icon  KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Dr. Heather Shotten - President, Fort Lewis College


Location Dot Icon Blanding Arts & Events Center (BAEC) Auditorium

10:30 am  |  SESSION 1

WORKSHOP
Rooted Resilience: Building Community and Wellness in Turbulent Times

Eugenie Admah Tassah
Unite Oregon

Location Dot Icon   BLT 112

TALKING CIRCLE SESSION
There is a Solution: The Wellbreity Framework and Personal Coaching

Joydino Bayle
USU Montezma Creek

Location Dot Icon  BAEC Classroom

WORKSHOP
Integrating Student and Educator Knowledge to Support Students in Achieving Their Goals

Mykel Beorchia and Tylan Dee
USU Logan

Location Dot Icon  BAEC Auditorium

11:30 am  |  SESSION 2

BREAKOUT SESSION
Dare to Know: USU Honors Can Support Your Leadership Journey

Dr. Kris Miller
USU Logan
Danielle Ross and Sandra Benalie
(USU Blanding)

Location Dot Icon   BLT 213

TALKING CIRCLE
Community Through Conflict: Making Space in Turbulent Times

Clair Canfield
USU Logan
Adalyn Bennett, Rachel Carey, Dax Hansen
(Students)

Location Dot Icon  BAEC Auditorium

WORKSHOP
Hózhǫ Shelter

James Bilagody
Tuba City, AZ

Location Dot Icon   BLT 118

12:15 pm  |  LUNCH

Dining Icon    LUNCH PROVIDED

Performance by Montezuma Creek Elementary

Location Dot Icon Blanding Arts & Events Center (BAEC) Auditorium

2:00 pm  |  SESSION 3

WEAVING OUR STORIES:
Community Bridge-Building Instead of Breaking

Matthew Schaeffer and Paul DeBell (Fort Lewis College)

Location Dot Icon Blanding Arts & Events Center (BAEC) Auditorium

3:00 pm  |  SESSION 4

WORKSHOP
Building Bridges through STEM in Higher Education during Turbulent Times

Lavern Denison, Jim Dandy, and Student Panel
(USU Blanding)

Location Dot Icon  TBD

WORKSHOP
Story-Based Course Design: Building Community Through Shared Adventures

Josi Russell
USU Blanding

Location Dot Icon  BAEC Classroom

WORKSHOP
Native American Curriculum Initiative: Using the Arts to Build Culturally Sustaining Environments

Brenda Beyal and Emily Soderbuoug

Location Dot Icon   BAEC Auditorium 

4:00 pm  |  REFLECTION

Arrows Reflecting Icon   REFLECTION, NETWORKING & INFORMAL DISCUSSIONS

Location Icon Blanding Arts & Events Center (BAEC) Classroom

Optional activities
Weaving Our Future Art Exhibit
Digital History Project Exhibit
Location Dot Icon Health, Science, Library Building (HSL)

4:45 pm  |  DINNER

Dining Icon  DINNER PROVIDED

Performance by White Mountain Apache Crown Dancers

Location Dot Icon TBD

USU STUDENTS: Post Dinner Activity
Storytelling Session - Elder Darren Parry (Former Chairman, Shoshone Nation)
  Location Dot Icon Blanding Campus Hogan

Dash Icon   THURSDAY    Dash Icon

8:00 am  |  BREAKFAST

Dining Icon   BREAKFAST PROVIDED

Registration check-in

Location Icon Bradford Lee Technology Building (BLT) Lower Level, Commons Area (South Entrance)

Optional activities
Weaving Our Future Art Exhibit
Digital History Project / Poster Session
Location Dot Icon Health, Science, Library Building (HSL)

9:00 am  |  KEYNOTE

Key Icon  KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Stories that Hold Us Together: Indigenous Wisdom for Turbulent Times
Darren Parry - Former Chairman of the Shoshone Nation

Location Dot Icon Blanding Arts & Events Center (BAEC) Auditorium

10:30 am  |  SESSION 1

WORKSHOP
Virtual Presentation - The Pedagogy of Love and Language in the Ebony Towers: A Case Study of Oklahoma's Only Langston University and it's Role in Affirming Black Identity

Yaisa Mann, Cindy Ross, Andre Love, and Amalia Davis
(Langston University)

Location Dot Icon   BAEC Auditorium

WORKSHOP
Trail Building as Land Connection: Engaging Native Students in Stewardship through Outdoor Recreation in Blanding, Utah

Zachary Gregory
(USU Blanding)

Location Dot Icon  TBD

WORKSHOP
Prioritizing Native Authorship to Promote Community

Genevieve Ford
(USU Blanding)

Location Dot Icon   TBD

11:30 am  |  SESSION 2

WORKSHOP
Weaving Community: Culturally Responsive Teaching and Collaborative Learning as Bridgework

Jeremy Ricketts
(USU Eastern)
Shanda Winget
(San Juan High School)

Location Dot Icon   BAEC Classroom

WORKSHOP
Rhythms of Connection: Strategies for Engaging Students, Colleagues, and Supervisors

Mykel Beorchia and Shelly Kotynek
(USU Logan)

Location Dot Icon   TBD

WORKSHOP
Increasing Belonging Through Holistic Advisement

Sharon Tapahe and Yvette Rivera
(BYU)

Location Dot Icon   BAEC Classroom

12:15 pm  |  LUNCH

Dining Icon    LUNCH PROVIDED

Performance by San Juan School District Culture Society

Location Dot Icon Blanding Arts & Events Center (BAEC) Auditorium

1:45 pm  |  SESSION 3

DISCUSSION & WORKSHOP
Building Bridges Through Indigenous Peacebuilding

Chad Ford and Amanda Ford (USU Logan)
Seamus Fitzgerald (do Terra)
Layla Davis (USU Student)

Location Dot Icon Blanding Arts & Events Center (BAEC) Auditorium

3:00 pm  |  REFLECTION

Arrows Reflecting Icon   REFLECTION, NETWORKING & INFORMAL DISCUSSIONS

Location Icon Blanding Arts & Events Center (BAEC) Classroom

USU STUDENTS: Talking Circle
Faustine Sageney and Kaylee Warren (Miss Native USU)
Location Dot Icon Blanding Campus Hogan

Optional activities
Weaving Our Future Art Exhibit
Digital History Project Exhibit
Location Dot Icon Health, Science, Library Building (HSL)

4:00 pm  |  DINNER / CLOSING

Dining Icon  DINNER PROVIDED

Farewell Performance

Location Dot Icon Blanding Arts & Events Center (BAEC) Auditorium

  Dash Icon   EXHIBITS & VENDORS    Dash Icon

ART EXHIBITION
Navajo Children: Weaving the Future
Utah Arts & Museum Traveling Exhibition

Location Dot Icon Health Science Library Building (HSL)

DIGITAL EXHIBIT
The Push for Ethnic Studies at Utah State University, 1968-1975

Brendan Lee and USU History 3780 Logan Campus Students

Location Dot Icon Health, Science, Library Building (HSL)

VENDORS
Cultural and Informational

Location Dot Icon East of Blanding Arts & Evens Center (BAEC)