Feeling the Plan: Diné Life, Education, and the Micropolitics of Settler Colonial Power
June 12, 2026, 12 PM - 1:00 PM EDT
Michaela Shirley’s presentation introduces a dissertation-in-progress that reconceptualizes education as a central instrument of regional planning in Diné Bikeyah. Utilizing Diné Critical Studies (CDS), Indigenous planning, community development, and Critical Indigenous Studies, the project investigates how schools have historically operated not only as sites for modernizing Indian reservations but also as ongoing systemic structures of settler colonialism dictating land relations, community and economic development, political economy, governance, and Diné futurity.
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Indigenous Architecture: Cultural Responders Forum - (IMOD) Indigenous Models of Design
Wanda Dalla Costa, FRAIC, AIA
Speaker: Cultural Responders Forum - Indigenous Architecture
Wanda Dalla Costa, FRAIC, AIA (she/her) is an architect, member of Saddle Lake Cree Nation, and an advocate for Indigenous peoples.
The SEED Network is a global initiative focused on using design to support communities in achieving social, economic, and environmental well-being. We bring together individuals and organizations who share principles of equity and self-determination in shaping the built environment. We promote best practices, case studies, and tools—such as the SEED Evaluator—to guide inclusive, participatory design processes and measure impact. Overall, the SEED Network serves as a collaborative platform that empowers people to improve their communities through thoughtful, community-driven design.