Keynotes
Decolonizing Autism: “They are Sacred” Documentary by Dr. Grant Bruno
Talking Circle moderated by Dr. Kari Dahle-Huff (Northern Cheyenne) Montana State University Billings
“Reframing neurodiversity through an Indigenous lens, following young Anders (Sacred Buffalo Child) and his father Dr. Grant Bruno (Yellow Horse) of the Samson Cree nation. Dr. Bruno, an Assistant Professor in Pediatrics, challenges clinical definitions that see autism as a deficit, and embraces Cree traditions that honour neurodiversity as a sacred gift.”
4 Elements of Collective Healing
Father David Bailey – United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)
Tragedy strikes Native communities on a level unseen anywhere else in the country. Despite comprising less than 1% of the national population, Native youth commit suicide more frequently than any other demographic. Added to extremely high cases of physical and sexual assault from non-Native perpetrators, the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons epidemic, and many other forms of disparity, Native communities are often oversaturated by tragedy. Due to the close and familial relationships on reservations, bad news affects everyone. How can we contribute to collective healing in communities which are disproportionately affected by grief?
Experiential Sessions
History and Culture Walk @ Deer Medicine Rock
Thomas Shoulderblade – (Northern Cheyenne) Knowledge Keeper
Sweat Lodge Experience
Setovaatse Medicine Bull – (Northern Cheyenne) Instructor at Chief Dull Knife College
Plants and Their Stories and the Importance of Outdoor Education
Linwood & Randall Tall Bull- (Northern Cheyenne) Instructors at Chief Dull Knife College
Breakout Sessions
Northern Cheyenne Tribe v Hollowbreast – A Documentary
Sam Chestnut – Founding Member of The Lodge Approach
Ahtove – A Teaching Resource about Northern Cheyenne Culture
Dr. Mary Beth Henning – University of Mount Union
John Bennett – Founding Faculty Member of The Lodge Approach
Looking for more authentic, engaging, and contemporary ways to teach about Native American culture? Come see lesson plans, primary sources, augmented reality, music, art, dance, stories, and artifacts that can make your learning come alive. Explore ways that Native American education has been incorporated into university & K-8 curriculum. All resources will be made available to participants through ahtove.org
Creating Safe and Connected Learning Spaces for Indigenous Students and Alternative Discipline
Dr. Brooke Beaverheart Gondara – (Northern Cheyenne), State Director of Indian Education, Montana Office of Public Instruction
Crystal Hickman – (Apsaalooke),Tribal Student Achievement Specialist, Montana Office of Public Instruction
Jen Murphy – (Cree), Tribal Student Achievement Specialist, Montana Office of Public Instruction
A positive school climate, where students feel safe and connected, is critically important to academic success as well as emotional wellbeing. The Creating a Safe and Supportive School Climate for American Indian Students guide features recommendations informed by the research literature that is available as well as the lived experiences of a group of Montana Urban American Indian students. A short, 1-2-hour training is available to accompany this document.
Matthew Johnson– (Blackfeet) Director of Alternative Education for Browning Public Schools
This session will discuss and offer a framework for introducing Culture, Restorative Practices and Trauma Informed care to create a model of educational sovereignty that allows students to and staff to learn in a safe and engaging environment. Create a school that is based on the values and strengths of your tribal community and prepares students to succeed at a high level and live a happy and productive life.
Northern Cheyenne Star Stories: Preserving Indigenous Knowledge Through Planetarium Storytelling
Dr. Elaine Westbrook – University of Montana Billings
Wallace Bearchum – (Northern Cheyenne)
This project centers on the preservation and respectful sharing of Northern Cheyenne Star Stories through the development of a full-dome planetarium experience. In collaboration with the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, the Tribal Historic Preservation Office (THPO), and cultural knowledge holders, this work documents a cosmological story in the Northern Cheyenne language and pairs them with visual and auditory elements designed for immersive educational environments. The goal is to create a planetarium video that reflects Indigenous knowledge systems on their own terms, while providing opportunities for broader educational engagement—guided by tribal protocols and permissions.
In alignment with cultural protocols, only appropriate and approved elements of the project will be shared during this presentation. This work is not just about creating a video—it is about honoring relationships, language, and knowledge systems. The process itself is as important as the final product, and all steps forward are guided by the Northern Cheyenne community.
Eva M. Flying is the sixth president of Chief Dull Knife College, and the first woman to occupy this role. She is deeply rooted in the Northern Cheyenne community and is a champion of enhancing lives through health and education.
Flying began her postsecondary education in Wyoming at Sheridan College where she received her Associate of Arts degree in General Studies. From there she continued on to Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado where she obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Exercise Science. In 1999 she returned to Montana and completed her Master of Science degree in Sports Administration at Montana State University-Billings. Flying is working on her Doctorate of Education in Community Colleges, with an emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion from California State University, Stanislaus