Lydell Rafael
Master of Ceremonies
Lydell Rafael is a dynamic communications specialist, entrepreneur, and radio broadcaster who champions community-centered initiatives. Utilizing media as a tool for connection, Lydell develops impactful radio content designed to amplify local voices and safeguard cultural representation.
By bridging modern messaging with Indigenous perspectives, he fosters inclusive dialogues that honor linguistic heritage and cultural identity. A passionate advocate for authentic community representation, Lydell brings vital insight into the evolution of modern media spaces.
Kinłichíí’nii nilí, Ta’neeszahnii yashchíín, Tódích’íínii dabicheii dóó Kinyaa’áanii dabinálí.
Daniel W. Vandever
Keynote Speaker
Daniel W. Vandever (Irish/Navajo) is an award-winning author and entrepreneur from Haystack, NM. As CEO of South of Sunrise Creative, his publishing and consulting firm advances education in tribal communities by combining innovation and cultural advocacy.
Vandever is the author of Fall in Line, Holden!, a 2018 Honor Book for the American Indian Youth Literature Award (AIYLA), and Horizon, which won AIYLA’s Best Picture Book of 2022. His latest book, We Weave, was named one of Kirkus Reviews’ Best Indie Books of 2024 and received AIYLA honor recognition in 2026. Scholastic published his early reader Behind Every Rug in 2024 as part of its Own Voices – School and Friends collection.
Vandever’s books blend Navajo culture with contemporary experiences, which he shares with schools across the country. He has promoted literacy with eight tribal nations, from Arizona’s Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community to North Carolina’s Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
Vandever holds an undergraduate degree in Strategic Communications from the University of Missouri and a master’s in Community and Regional Planning from the University of New Mexico. He is the grandson of Joe Vandever, Sr., a Navajo Code Talker with the U.S. Marine Corps.
Code Talker, U.S. Marine Corps
Dr. Magdalena Niedermeyer, DVM
Speaker
Dr. Magdalena Niedermeyer is a veterinarian specializing in hoofed animals. Dedicated to providing compassionate care throughout San Juan County, UT—from Monument Valley to Aneth to Blanding. With her husband, Dr. Stephen Reale (a physician), Magdalena operates a fully equipped mobile veterinary and medical truck, visiting homes in remote areas since January 2025. Their service brings exams, treatments, and preventive care directly to residents, ensuring people and animals receive on-site medical attention where it is most needed.
Originally from Maine, Magdalena grew up with five sisters, a horse, pigs, dairy goats, and veterinarian parents. She has enjoyed living in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Maine, Montana, and now Utah. Moving here for her dream job, Magdalena finds the Four Corners area especially welcoming and dear to her heart.
She and her husband share their home in Bluff, Utah, with a cat (Watson) and a dog (Quinzel). When she is not caring for animals, Magdalena enjoys hiking, reading fiction books, coffee, and running. Together, they set a goal to climb the highest mountain in every state—so far, they’ve reached 21 peaks.
Dr. Travis Frazier, MD, C-NMM/OMM
Speaker
Dr. Travis Frazier is a dedicated family physician and osteopathic specialist from Blanding, Utah, where he graduated from San Juan High School in 2006. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in French Studies while completing his pre-medical requirements at Brigham Young University in 2014. He later received his Doctor of Medicine from the University of New Mexico School of Medicine in 2021.
His post-graduate training includes a three-year Family Medicine residency at Central Maine Medical Center’s Rural Track, followed by a specialized fellowship year in Osteopathic Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine at the Maine-Dartmouth Family Medicine Residency. This extensive background allows Dr. Frazier to merge traditional family medicine with hands-on manipulative therapy.
Currently practicing with the Utah Navajo Health System (UNHS), Dr. Frazier integrates osteopathic manipulation, medical acupuncture, and integrative medicine into a comprehensive care model. He is passionate about providing culturally sensitive healthcare.
Outside of his clinical and community work, Travis enjoys spending time with his wife, Jessika, exploring local culinary scenes, watching movies, and playing with their dog, Coco.
Dr. Joseph Chee, Traditional Healer (Hata’a’lii)
Speaker
Dr. Joseph Chee is a respected Diné scholar, educator, and cultural advocate whose lifelong work centers on sustaining Diné identity through education, language, and traditional knowledge. With decades of experience teaching and leading within Navajo communities, Dr. Chee has strengthened the connection between Diné thought, worldview, and modern pedagogy.
His research and teachings emphasize Sa’ah Naagháí Bik’eh Hózhóón as the foundation for identity, wellness, and academic growth.
Dr. Chee has inspired educators across the Navajo Nation to integrate cultural teachings, oral tradition, and land-based learning into classroom instruction, helping students see themselves, their families, and their communities in their learning journey.
Dr. Avery Denny, Traditional Healer (Hata’a’lii)
Speaker
Dr. Avery Denny is a Navajo Traditional Healer (Hata’a’lii) and has taught at Diné College in Tsaile, Arizona, for 39 years. He teaches Navajo Philosophy, Holistic Healing, Herbology, Early Child and Adolescent Development, and Navajo Psychology.
Dr. Denny lives in Lukachukai, Arizona. His Navajo clans are: Tódích’íi’nii (Bitter Water), Tótsohnii (Big Water), Bashischiin, Ta’neeszahnii (Tangle Clan), dashicheii, Tséńjíkiní (Cliff Dweller Clan), dashinálí.
Furthermore, Dr. Denny is a member of the Diné Hata’a’lii Association, Inc., and serves on its board. As a Hata’a’lii, Dr. Denny leads Navajo Traditional Healing Ceremonies, including two-night, five-night, and nine-night ceremonies, primarily as ceremonial leader and healer. These ceremonies, known as Hata’a’lii and Nahagha’, are foundational to his community’s spiritual health.
Beyond his teaching and healing responsibilities, Dr. Denny also does consultant presentations, provides instruction, develops and designs cultural curriculum, and promotes cultural awareness.
Louis Williams
Speaker
My name is Louis Williams. I am the owner of Ancient Wayves River and Hiking. Adventures is a guiding outfit based in Blanding, UT, where I live with my family. I was born and raised on the Navajo Nation. Teehindeeh nasha.
I have guided on the San Juan River since 2011 and in Bears Ears National Monument since 2015. My passion for the outdoors stems from my native roots and the teachings of my elders. My love for nature inspired me to pursue an education at the University of New Mexico. Go Lobos! I studied Environmental Science at UNM.
Today, I apply what I have learned from my elders and my academic experience to my profession. I am grateful to have the opportunity to do work I love.