In this episode—part 1 of a 2-part conversation—Journeys host Ryan Neepin is joined by Ixchel Bennett to discuss her journey with and through Indigenous education. In this first part, Ixchel shares her early journey: her student experience, the beginnings of her career, and the relationships and teachings that shaped her pathway and purpose. Listen along to learn what Ixchel describes as "living the land acknowledgment."

ABOUT IXCHEL

Guided by kinship, land, and responsibility, Ixchel is a Nahua/Zapoteca, Indigenous educator, tía, esposa, hermana, hija, amiga, sobrina from Turtle Island, born in Tenochtitlán (Mexico City).

With over twenty years of experience as a teacher, seconded faculty member, and educational administrator, she has worked primarily within First Nations, Métis and Inuit educational contexts across rural and urban communities and school boards.

She is a PhD candidate focusing on the experiences of Indigenous teacher candidates in the Waaban Indigenous Teacher Education Program. Her methodology is the tlayōlli (maize) cycle as a pedagogical approach to listening, understanding, and making meaning of shared stories.

Informed by her roles within family and community, her work centers Indigenous wisdoms of care, accountability, transparency and resurgence in education, affirming Indigenous knowledge as living knowledge rooted in community, land, and responsibility.