The Rematriation of Science: Restoring Balance through Indigenous Knowledges

Melissa is an ecologist and Indigenous scholar-activist. Formerly a professor of American Indian Studies at San Francisco State University, she now teaches at Arizona State University in the School of Sustainability, Global Futures Laboratory. From 1993 to 2021, she served as the founding executive director and CEO of the Cultural Conservancy and continues to serve as president of their board. She is a contributor and co-editor of What Kind of Ancestor Do You Want To Be? (2021), Traditional Ecological Knowledge: Learning from Indigenous Practices for Environmental Sustainability published (2018), and Original Instructions: Indigenous Teachings for a Sustainable Future (2008). She is Anishinaabe/Métis/Norwegian and a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians.

Jaune is a writer and visual artist. She serves as a senior meditation teacher and ordained Soto Zen priest with the Heart of Compassion Zen Sangha and the Bay Area Everyday Zen lineage. Jaune worked in public policy and philanthropy for three decades as the executive director of several foundations. Her ongoing interests and professional expertise include public health and hospice, Indigenous peoples’ rights, protecting sacred lands and waters, cultural and human rights, gender empowerment, and global justice alliance-building. She serves on the Board of Directors of Commonweal, as well as the leadership team of Healing Circles Global.