NCP Team
Myla Vicenti Carpio, Ph.D. is a citizen of the Jicarilla Apache Nation and is of Laguna and Isleta Pueblo heritage. She is an Associate Professor in Native American Studies at the University of New Mexico.
Vicenti Carpio’s first book Indigenous Albuquerque was published in 2011. She is currently working on a co-authored manuscript with Dr. Karen J. Leong. Their manuscript American Movements: Understanding the Ideological and Institutional Reasoning for Japanese American and American Indian Relocations, 1940-1970, which examines the institutional histories of Japanese relocation and urban Indian relocation and chronicles the development of a federal strategy of relocating racially marginalized communities with the intent of facilitating their assimilation into American values and society. Vicenti Carpio with Dr. Jeffrey Shepherd is co-editor of the Critical Issues in Indigenous Studies Book Series with the University of Arizona Press.
Myla Vicenti Carpio has also published on historical memory, urban/nonreservation experience, and sterilization of American Indian women and has presented her research in the U.S. and abroad. Her research areas include Indigenous history, urban issues, gender and sexuality, decolonization and food sovereignty.
Wendy S. Greyeyes, Ph.D. (Diné) is an Associate Professor of Native American Studies at the University of New Mexico. Tódích’íinii nishłí, tódích’íinii báshshíshchíín, tł’ízíłani dashicheii, tó’ahání dashinálí. Tódínéeshzhee’ déé’ naashá. She is a current Nits’áá dóó ídahwiil’aah “We Are Learning From You” Fellows Program at Diné College, funded by the Mellon Foundation. Dr. Greyeyes formerly worked for the Arizona Governor as a Tribal Liaison for the Arizona Teacher Excellence Program and Homeland Security, a Grassroots Manager for the Indian Self Reliance Initiative in Arizona, a Statistician/Demographer for the Department of Diné Education, a Program Analyst/Chief Implementation Officer for the Bureau of Indian Education, and a research consultant with the Department of Diné Education. She currently is the chair for the New Mexico Indian Education Advisory Council (IEAC), former President of the Diné Studies Conference, Inc., former President of the American Indian Studies Association (AISA), and faculty advisor for the Kiva Club. Dr. Greyeyes received her M.A. and Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Chicago and B.A. in Native American Studies from Stanford University. Her research is focused on political sociology, organizational analysis, Indigenous education, tribal sovereignty, and Nation Building. Recent publications include her book titled A History of Navajo Education: Disentangling our Sovereign Body (2022) and The Yazzie Case: Building a Public Education System for Our Indigenous Future (2023), edited by Wendy S. Greyeyes, Lloyd L. Lee and Glenabah Michelle Martinez.
Lloyd L. Lee, Ph.D. is an enrolled citizen of the Navajo Nation. He is Kiyaa’1anii (Towering House people), born for T[’11sch77 (Red Cheeks people). His maternal grandfather’s clan is !sh88h7 (Salt clan), and his paternal grandfather’s clan is T1b22h1 (Water’s Edge people).
He is Professor and Faculty Graduate Director in the Department of Native American Studies at the University of New Mexico (UNM), Director of the Center for Regional Studies (CRS) at UNM, and editor of the Wicazo Sa Review journal.
He is the author of Diné Identity in a 21st Century World (2020), Diné Masculinities: Conceptualizations and Reflections (2013), co-author of Native Americans and the University of New Mexico (2017), and edited Navajo Sovereignty: Understandings and Visions of the Diné People (2017) and Diné Perspectives: Reclaiming and Revitalizing Navajo Thought (2014). His research focuses on Indigenous identity, masculinities, leadership, philosophies, and Native Nation building/Indigenous community building.
Tiffany S. Lee is Dibé Łizhiní (Blacksheep) Diné from Crystal, New Mexico, and Oglala Lakota from Pine Ridge, South Dakota. Dr. Lee is a Professor and the Chair of Native American Studies at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. Her research examines educational and culturally-based outcomes of Indigenous language immersion schools, the relationship of Diné language learning to wellbeing, and Native youth perspectives on language reclamation, and socio-culturally centered education. Her work has been published in journals, such as the American Journal of Education, Harvard Educational Review, the Journals of Language, Identity, and Education and American Indian Education; and in books, such as Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies: Teaching and Learning for Justice in a Changing World, The Yazzie Case: Building a Public Education System for our Indigenous Future, and Indigenous language revitalization in the Americas. She is a former high school social studies and language arts teacher at schools on the Navajo Nation and at Santa Fe Indian School. She is currently collaborating with colleagues on a recently opened Diné language nest in Albuquerque and to prepare Diné language immersion educators through the Diné Language Teacher Institute.
Natalie Martinez, Ph.D. (K’awaika-meh, Laguna Pueblo) is a professional educator. She was a principal and teacher at her Pueblo Nation, and taught middle schoolers and high schoolers at other schools in New Mexico. Dr. Martinez’s collaborations on Indigenous-centered curriculum projects include: Indigenous Wisdom;Indigenous New Mexico; the curriculum guide for An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States for Young People; and the teacher guide for Indigenous Ingenuity. Her chapters appear in Luminous Literacies and The Yazzie Case: Interrogating the Yazzie/Martinez Lawsuit. She has written for and delivered a podcast interview for the International Journal for Adolescent and Adult Literacy. Additionally, her teacher professional development work with the OER Project is available online. Dr. Martinez most recently completed a Visiting Lecturer appointment at the University of New Mexico and is currently full-time faculty at Central NM Community College in the School of Education, working with pre-service teachers. Her research focus is education for Indigenous youth, professional curriculum development, and education policy.
Leola Tsinnajinnie Paquin, Ph.D. [Diné/Filipina & traditionally accepted into Santa Ana Pueblo] is an Associate Professor at the University of New Mexico (UNM) in Native American Studies. Her research and service activities focus on Indigenous educational sovereignty and wellbeing. She is a member of the UNM Diversity Council Curriculum Subcommittee and the Institute for American Indian Education (IAIE). She has been an Expanding Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience Faculty Fellow, Student Experience Project Fellow and an Academic Affairs General Education Faculty Fellow on Race and Social Justice. Beyond UNM, she has also served as President of the American Indian Studies Association Council. Her board membership has included the New Mexico American Civil Liberties Union and the Torreon Community Alliance. Dr. Paquin’s published work includes article contributions to the Wicazo Sa Review and Journal of the West. Her chapter contributions include the books: The Yazzie Case: Interrogating the Martinez/Yazzie v. New Mexico Lawsuit; Indigenous Motherhood in the Academy; and Indigenous Health and Justice. She has collaborated with numerous school districts and colleges in New Mexico. Through her various community-based partnerships, she creates curriculum and gray literature to support the growth of Indigenous platforms. She is a joyful member of the Running Medicine movement community which centers the intersection of her academic identities and family roles. Thus, she enjoys mentoring students with Indigenous wellbeing initiatives and research agendas. She has been an active faculty mentor in the El Puente Research Fellowship, Arts & Sciences Support for Undergraduate Research Experience Fellowship, and in the Graduate College’s Faculty Mentoring Program.
Shawn Secatero, Ph.D. is a member of the Canoncito Band of Navajo and is an Associate Professor in the UNM Teacher Education, Educational Leadership program. His research concentrates on holistic learning, Indigenous leadership, dual enrollment, rural education, and higher education. Dr. Secatero has 30 years of teaching experience in state and tribally controlled schools that includes the Gates Millennium Scholars Program, Canoncito School to Work Program, NMSU Grants Native American Program and other Native American leadership initiatives. He has published and presented research on his highly acclaimed Corn Pollen Model that has inspired organizations, students, and schools in promoting research, service, and teaching. Dr. Secatero coordinates the UNM Native Educational Sovereignty in Teaching and Leadership (NESTL) program that encompasses the Native American Leadership in Doctoral Education (NALE), Promoting our Leadership, Learning, and Empowering our Nations (POLLEN), American Indian Professional Educators Collaborative (AIPEC), and serves as a member of the UNM COEHS Scholarship Committee. He advises the UNM Society of Native American Graduate Students. Also, he is the founder of the Striking Eagle Native American Invitational which is one of the largest Native high school events that bridges athletics with a leadership academy at UNM. 
Renata Yazzie, Tó’aheedlíinii born for Kinyaa’áanii, is a Diné (Navajo) pianist, musicologist, and writer based in New York City. She is currently a PhD Student in Ethnomusicology at Columbia University and also holds a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry and a master’s degree in Music with dual concentrations in Musicology and Piano Performance from the University of New Mexico. Her research interests span across genres within Indigenous music and also cross into linguistic, pedagogical, and theological inquiry. Yazzie is the current host of American Classical Voices, a radio show on Classical 95.5 KHFM, dedicated to showcasing the sounds and stories of Native composers. She is also the founder of the American Indian Musicians’ Scholarship which seeks to provide well-rounded support to American Indian students pursuing a post-secondary degree in Music.
Aracely "Arcie" Chapa is an accomplished broadcast journalist and documentary filmmaker. She was the host and executive producer of the KNME weekly public affairs show “In Focus”, as well as the KUNM “Call-In Show”. She has produced countless award-winning films, including her most recent, the highly acclaimed, Acequias: The Legacy Lives On, and a trilogy of Emmy nominated films commemorating UNM’s colorful history and significant anniversary milestones, titled Zimmerman@75, UNM@125 and Popejoy@50. “Aracely has over 30 years’ experience in broadcast journalism, holding positions as anchor, reporter, news director, senior producer and executive producer of documentary films. She has won several awards including the prestigious National Press Club award for investigative reporting and five Emmy awards for documentary filmmaking. She is currently the Manager of Multi-Media Services at the Center for Regional Studies.
After working as a third-party pension plan administrator, Alisha Fitzgerald became a homeschool teacher and a freelance writing tutor. She currently works as Program Coordinator for the Center for Regional Studies at UNM with degrees in Marketing and Office Technology. Outside of work, Alisha spends time as a Krav Maga student and instructor who co-teaches women’s self-defense classes and is part of a team that delivers active shooter survival training to schools, offices, and churches.
