Keynote Speaker
Keiva Lei Cadena (she/her)
Keiva Lei Cadena is an advocate, activist, health and wellness service provider, and a Native Hawaiian cultural practitioner living in Pahoa, Hawaiʻi. Keiva was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and has lived most of her life in the Hawaiian Islands where she is the Director of Harm Reduction Services at Kumukahi Health + Wellness on the Big Island of Hawaii. She has been a community outreach and education provider for the last 1o years. Keiva sits on the Positively Trans National Advisory Board and represents the Pacific Region with the National Native HIV Network. She has most recently been appointed on the National Domestic Violence RISC Survivors Panel where, along with other participants across the country, she is helping develop a resource navigation assistance center for victims of domestic violence that is more inclusive to people of trans experience. Keiva lends her experience and knowledge to numerous organizations and social justice causes across the United States as a consultant and capacity building specialist, focused on addressing the social determinant of health for underserved communities, eliminating HIV stigma and criminalization, and creating better working environments and professional opportunities to the transgender/non-binary community and for people living with HIV. She stays deeply connected to her Hawaiian roots and fights for Native Hawaiian land and cultural protections, including the protection of sacred spaces for all indigenous populations. Keiva is also an award winning hula dancer and continues her journey to accomplish her studies in dancing, chanting, and Hawaiian language.
Land Acknowledgement
Willard Bill Jr. (he/him)
Willard Bill Jr. is a member of the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe where he is the Cultural Director. For 30 years, he has dedicated his professional career to working with Native Students as a Teacher and administrator at the Muckleshoot Tribal School, Seattle Public Schools, Muckleshoot Tribal College and partnering institutions. Will earned his Master’s degree in Education and Teacher Certification from Antioch University Seattle and his Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from Washington State University in Pullman, WA. Will’s entire professional career has been committed to achieving educational excellence in K-12 and Higher Education for American Indian/Alaska Native students and communities. Will is also a skipper in the Muckleshoot Canoe Family and has been a leader in the revitalization of their ocean going canoes and Coast Salish Culture.
Sui-Lan Hoʻokano (she/her)
The kaikamahine (daughter) of George Ho'okano and Lucille Fernandez-Fraticelli, makuahine (mother) of three, and kupunawahine (grandmother) of four. Sui-Lan Ho'okano is from the Island of Hawaii, Hilo and is a Kanaka, Taino Indian, Puerto Rican, Africana, Chinese ancestry.
Sui-Lan has over 30 years as a servant leader as an Indigenous educator. Sui-Lan Ho'okano current journey is as the Cultural Program Director for the Enumclaw School District and works collectively with Muckleshoot Cultural Canoe Kaiaulu (community), Indigenous/Aboriginal communities locally, Nationally, and Globally on environmental, Social, Racial Issues. Through restorative educational practices Sui-Lan continues to share the importance of Indigenous knowledge pathways and the value they hold and contribute to education for all.
Sui-Lan Ho'okano continues to share her experiences, and believes by sharing the true meaning of aloha and standing firmly in the present, with our backs to the future, our eyes upon our past we will be are able to access the deep and abundant ʻike (knowledge)of our Kupuna (elders/ancestors) It is through our Kupuna and their wisdom that we continue to grow, cultivate, elevate, and expand our ʻike for the benefit of haumana (students) ʻohana (families), kaiaulu (community), and ultimately our honua (global world) communities.
‘A‘ohe pau ka ‘ike i ka hālau ho‘okahi.
All knowledge is not learned in just one school.
One can learn from many source
