Bioneers Indigeneity Program Co-Director, Alexis Bunten, Ph.D, (Unangan/Yup’ik), is a researcher, writer, media-maker, and curriculum developer. After receiving a BA in Art History, Alexis returned to Alaska, where she worked at the Sealaska Heritage Institute and the Alaska Native Heritage Center. Subsequently, Alexis earned a PhD in Cultural Anthropology at UCLA. She has published widely about Indigenous and environmental issues in academic and mainstream media outlets. Alexis has won several awards for her work from the National Science Foundation, Ford Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, Bristol Bay Native Corporation, and others. Her 2015 book “So, How Long Have You Been Native? Life as an Alaska Native Tour Guide” won the Alaska Library Association Award for its originality and depth. Her current children’s book, Keepunumuk: Weeâchumun's Thanksgiving Story, won the New England Book Award in 2022.

Bioneers Indigeneity Program Manager, Nazshonnii Brown-Almaweri (Diné) is a farmer, educator, and from West Oakland. She has worked as a farmer and educator with a background in Mechanical Engineering. She is also a Veteran Farm Educator at the Gill Tract Community Farm in Albany, an volunteer-led farm that provides food, medicine, and green spaces to the community. Nazshonnii is passionate about STEM education and advocates for exposure and opportunities for historically excluded people, Black and Native youth in particular. As an educator, Nazshonnii has provided middle and high school youth with the space to learn about STEAM at the intersection of ancestral knowledge and their lived experiences. Creating space for Oakland youth to thrive in disciplines like engineering. Her community work includes facilitating educational land-based workshops, advising youth-led projects, and leading professional developments for Oakland and Berkeley school districts.