Thomasene Cardona<\/b>, a graduate student in the Applied Indigenous Studies program,\u00a0hopes to help her community reconnect with\u00a0its roots.\u00a0With the help of the Maxwell Lutz Community Impact award, she started the Yavapai Land and Culture Collective project, along with\u00a0Emanuel Preciado<\/b>, assistant teaching professor in the Department of Geography, Planning, and Recreation. The goal: to reintroduce the Yavapai tribal community to their sacred areas.<\/p>\n
Why did you choose NAU?\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n I chose Northern Arizona University because of its commitment to place-based education\u2014<\/span><\/span>an approach that recognizes the landscapes and histories we study as inseparable from the ones we inhabit and are accountable to<\/span><\/span>. NAU\u2019s location on ancestral lands<\/span>\u00a0offers an<\/span>\u00a0education\u00a0<\/span>that is\u00a0<\/span>contextual<\/span>\u00a0and<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>experiential<\/span>, grounded in the realities of place<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0This\u00a0<\/span>deep<\/span>ens<\/span>\u00a0not only what I learn but how I carry that knowledge forward, applying it to\u00a0<\/span>community<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>wellbeing, stewardship, cultural\u00a0<\/span>resilience<\/span>\u00a0and governance in ways that are responsible and enduring.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Tell\u00a0me\u00a0about the Yavapai Land and Culture Collective\u00a0project.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The Yavapai Land and Culture Collective is grounded in the belief that education\u00a0<\/span>must<\/span>\u00a0be rooted in land,\u00a0<\/span>memory<\/span>\u00a0and community<\/span>. It is a space where elders, scholars,\u00a0<\/span>youth<\/span>\u00a0and community members\u00a0<\/span>come toge<\/span>ther to learn from the land, from oral\u00a0<\/span>histories<\/span>\u00a0and from one another.\u00a0<\/span>In this space, theory and practice are not abstract concepts; they are\u00a0<\/span>lived<\/span>\u00a0experiences\u00a0<\/span>\u2014<\/span>just as\u00a0<\/span>they were for the original st<\/span>e<\/span>wards of these lands long before university walls existed<\/span>. This\u00a0<\/span>work\u00a0<\/span>honors<\/span>\u00a0and uplifts<\/span>\u00a0the voices and records of our people<\/span>\u2014<\/span>from oral histories<\/span>\u00a0of the Yavapai preserved through\u00a0<\/span>elders\u2019\u00a0<\/span>testimonies to academic archives housed in places such as the Arizona State Museum. In works like Oral History of the Yavapai, elders such as Mike Harrison share stories,\u00a0<\/span>songs<\/span>\u00a0and sacred\u00a0<\/span>knowledge<\/span>\u00a0as they remember them, creating living anchors for future generations. These records r<\/span>emind us that learning is not confined to classrooms or texts; it lives in how we move through land, language,\u00a0<\/span>memory<\/span>\u00a0and relationship.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n How do you think it\u00a0will\u00a0impact\u00a0the\u00a0community?\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n It transforms relationships\u2014between individuals and ancestral lands, between students and elders, and between community and academia. By stepping onto land with elders, hearing songs in the language and engaging oral histories alongside documented cultural archives, we create shared spaces of mutual learning and healing. This enriches educational pathways and fosters cultural continuity that respects both Indigenous knowledge traditions and contemporary scholarship.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n What are your plans\u00a0after\u00a0graduation?\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n I intend to deepen my work at the intersection of community,\u00a0culture\u00a0and education, supporting initiatives that center Indigenous language revitalization, land\u00a0stewardship\u00a0and collaborative learning. I see myself working with communities,\u00a0institutions\u00a0and land-based programs to ensure that education honors place, memory,\u00a0heritage\u00a0and ongoing possibility\u2014especially for young people who will carry these teachings forward.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n What did you want to be when you grew up?\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Growing up, I\u00a0always wanted to help people\u2014to bring our voices into spaces that shape our collective future. I\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0always imagine public service, but as a member of this community and a student grounded in place, service became a natural extension of my learning\u2014a way to give back what I have been given.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n What is your favorite childhood memory?\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n My favorite memories\u00a0weren\u2019t\u00a0in classrooms\u2014they were with elders on the land, listening to stories about places, songs that\u00a0held\u00a0history and teachings that cannot be found in textbooks. Those moments taught me that true learning is lived and shared.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n What is your favorite way to spend a day off?\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n I spend my days off\u00a0quietly\u2014walking\u00a0the land, listening deeply, talking with\u00a0elders\u00a0and learning from community members. To me, education is a continuum that\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0stop at\u00a0graduation;\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0part of how I show up in the world.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n What are three items on your bucket list?\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n