Speakers

2025 Guest Commencement Speaker

Michael Yellow Bird, MSW, PhD

Michael Yellow Bird, MSW, PhD Michael Yellow Bird, MSW, PhD, is a Professor at the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Manitoba. He is an enrolled member of the MHA Nation (Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara) in North Dakota, USA. He has held faculty and administrative appointments at the University of British Columbia, University of Kansas, Arizona State University, Humboldt State University, and North Dakota State University.

His research focuses on the effects of colonization and methods of decolonization, ancestral health, intermittent fasting, Indigenous mindfulness, neurodecolonization, mindful decolonization, and the cultural significance of Rez dogs. He is the founder, director, and principal investigator of The Centre for Mindful Decolonization and Reconciliation at the University of Manitoba. He serves as a consultant, trainer, and senior advisor to several BIPOC mindfulness groups and organizations who are seeking to incorporate mindfulness practices, philosophies, and activities to Indigenize and decolonize western mindfulness approaches in order to address systemic racism and engage in structural change.

He is the author of numerous scholarly articles, book chapters, research reports, and the co-editor of four books: For Indigenous Eyes Only: The Decolonization Handbook, 2005; For Indigenous Minds Only: A Decolonization Handbook, 2012; Indigenous Social Work around the World: towards Culturally Relevant Education and Practice, 2008; and Decolonizing Social Work, 2013. Choice Magazine, selected Decolonizing Social Work as a 2014 Choice Outstanding Academic Title. Choice Outstanding Titles are given extraordinary recognition by the academic community and are designated to be “the best of the best.” He is the co-author of two recent books: A Sahnish (Arikara) Ethnobotany (2020), and Decolonizing Holistic Pathways Towards Integrative Healing in Social Work (2021). His most recent co-authored mindfulness article is “Defunding Mindfulness: While We Sit on Our Cushions, Systemic Racism Runs Rampant.”

2025 Student Commencement Speaker

Lindsay Patiño, MEd School Counseling ’25

Lindsay Patiño, MEd School Counseling '25Lindsay Patiño is graduating with her Master’s in School Counseling from Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling, where she has been actively involved in the Graduate Student Union Network. Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, Lindsay comes from a family that owns a local Mexican taqueria. She currently serves as a school counselor in the Clackamas School District, supporting students in their academic, social-emotional, and post-secondary success. Her passion for counseling is deeply rooted in her own journey—shaped by resilience, cultural awareness, and a commitment to equity and advocacy. In her speech, Lindsay hopes to inspire fellow graduates by highlighting the power of unconditional love, resilience, and the unseen ways we shape the lives of others. In her spare time, she enjoys immersing herself in audiobooks, salsa dancing, finding scenic lookouts, and designing comforting and inviting spaces.