Thayne Yazzie

STEM Education Outreach Coordinator

 

Thayne Yazzie is an enrolled member of the Dine'/Navajo Nation.  He was born and raised on the Navajo reservation and have been a K-12 educator for indigenous communities in both WA and AZ state, particularly on the Lummi and Dine/Navajo Reservation. Over the past 4 years, Thayne has been the STEM Education Outreach Coordinator for the Salish Sea Research Center at Northwest Indian College (Lummi, Bellingham, WA) and during this time, he has been developing place-based STEM/STEAM education materials.

 

Throughout his educational outreach, Thayne shares his perspective on the concepts of indigenous knowledge. He notes that it is important to remember that his interpretation of indigenous knowledge does not reflect the beliefs or knowledge systems of all indigenous people. Additionally, indigenous knowledge can vary greatly within a "tribe", a specific place, and/or community. Therefore, Thayne encourages all educators to seek out indigenous perspectives from all walks of life, including various people, communities, and various experiences.

 

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