Descendent of Turtle Mountain James Vukelich Kaagegaabaw is a renowned international speaker, author, educator, social media personality who shared indigenous wisdom for a life well-lived. As the creator of Ojibwe Word of the Day, James is recognized as a leading voice on the interconnectedness of language and culture. His keen insights were developed through speaking with and recording elders and native language speakers across North America as part of the Ojibwe Language Dictionary Project. For over twenty years, James has facilitated community language tables, consulted with public and private organizations on language and cultural programs, and traveled internationally as a keynote speaker. In addition to publications, he has been featured on numerous podcasts, radio, and television programs. James is a passionate advocate for sharing how to live a life of mino-bimaadiziwin, the good life. He lives in the Twin Cities, Minnesota with his wife and son.
Marcus Trujillo (he/him) is an enrolled tribal member with the Pueblo of Laguna, one of twenty three sovereign nations located in New Mexico. Marcus is a Graphic Designer and Illustrator who is driven to give back to his community through visual art as a creative passion. Marcus earned a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of New Mexico (UNM), and currently contributes his skill-sets to the Department of Education in Laguna Pueblo. Marcus also contributes his talents to freelance & contract work for various Indigenous-led organizations, businesses and individuals. Additionally, Marcus centers kid-lit illustration as a main focus to reach children through picture books and language learning materials. This work is meaningful to Marcus because he believes that true visual representation of Indigenous communities can respectfully take place through culturally accurate understandings. Follow Marcus at haatzeedesigns.com or @haatzeedesigns.
