Cash Ahenakew

Dr. Cash Ahenakew, a Plains Cree and member of Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation, holds the Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples’ Well-being and focuses on decolonizing health-related research and education. His work aims to integrate Indigenous knowledges and practices with critical and contemplative approaches to offer well-being and healing experiences while promoting inclusive and culturally relevant environments. Dr. Ahenakew’s research revitalizes traditional health practices and brings them together with contemporary health approaches that offer holistic well-being.

Áurea Vericat Rocha 

Born and raised in Mexico City with Mexican and Spanish roots, I’m a Ph.D. candidate at the University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Education Cross-Faculty Inquiry Program occupying space on the Unceded, Traditional, and Ancestral xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Territory. As a proud member of Indigenous Early Years Kinship (ieyk.org) and founder of ICEDAR, I’m committed to advancing Indigenous worldviews and self-determination..

With over 15 years of experience in Mexico, I worked on revitalizing Indigenous games and languages, focusing on young children’s education and fostering their Indigenous identities through projects in marginalized and Indigenous communities. This journey taught me the value and need of building relationships and collaborating with schools, Elders, and rural and urban communities to support Indigenous culture revitalization.

In my further pursuit of early childhood education, I partnered with the British Columbia Aboriginal Child Care Society and served as First Nations Pedagogies Network Provincial Coordinator. My doctoral research celebrates Indigenous early childhood educators’ practice and pedagogical leadership, informing Indigenous Professional Development programs. Through collaboration, my work aims to contribute to research that respects Indigenous communities as equal partners in knowledge production.

Maria Jose Athie Martinez