Live Oak Consulting is proud to be a Indigenous woman-owned business that works closely with many Indigenous leaders, practiced co-facilitators, and dedicated creatives.
Deana Dartt is Coastal Band, Chumash and Mestiza, descending from the indigenous people of the Californias. Her scholarly and professional work strives to address the incongruities between public understanding, representation and true acknowledgement of Indigenous peoples, their cultures, histories and contemporary lives. She earned her MA and PhD from the University of Oregon and has held curatorial positions at the Burke Museum of Natural and Cultural History and the Portland Art Museum as well as teaching appointments at the University of Oregon, University of Washington, and Northwest Indian College. Her book manuscript titled, “Subverting the Master Narrative: Museums, Power and Indigenous Life in California” is currently in prep. Deana serves on the boards of the University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History Advisory Council and the Indigenous Coast Action Network, as well as the non-profit organization she recently established, the Live Oak Center for Applied Decolonization (LOCAD).
Heron Brae is an educator and facilitator who works at the intersection of our relationship to the land and our relationships with each other. She teaches people about land tending and ethically using medicinal and edible plants. Her work also encompasses guiding emotional processes associated with decolonization, particularly for other white people. She has a passion for oak ecosystems, native food plants, culturally shaped habitats, and Indigenous land justice. She loves leading people through the mystery of shifting worldviews towards centering reciprocity and belonging, and does so informed from her own direct life experience of unlearning. She also works as a field botanist and teaches classes and workshops through Brae Botanical Ways. She lives in the woods on a hill with her cat Shadow and her poetry notebook.
David G. Lewis is a member of the Grand Ronde tribe, a descendant of the Santiam, Chinook and Takelma peoples of western Oregon. He has a Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Oregon and is faculty in the Anthropology and Ethnic Studies departments at OSU. David is a past manager of the culture department at the Grand Ronde Tribe and helped design and open the Chachalu Museum at the reservation. He conducts dozens of presentations each year to numerous groups throughout western Oregon about tribal history and context and has curated numerous exhibits at local museums. He currently lives in Salem, Oregon with his family, and continually researches the colonial histories of the Oregon tribes, writing numerous essays for journals and for his blog The Quartux Journal at ndnhistoryresearch.com
Nancy Judd is an internationally recognized artist, environmental advocate and teaching artist. For over 20 years she has been creating art exhibitions made from trash that engage people in conversations about how we live on the earth. Nancy exhibits her work in public airports and museums and one of her pieces, the Obamanos Coat is in the Smithsonian Museum’s permanent collection. In her work as a teaching artist, Nancy provides arts integration to students in classrooms and adults in training settings. Nancy’s work is inspired by the indigenous people around the globe who have cared for the earth for thousands of years. She asserts that by following their lead and working with them, we can collectively mitigate the impacts of climate change. Nancy explores her own privilege, colonized mindset and white/settler fragility and brings her personal experiences to all her trainings. www.RecycleRunway.com.
Tima Lotah Link is an art director specializing in designing community and culture-based exhibitions, public spaces, publications, and online experiences. Recent exhibits include LA’s Living in a Wildlife Corridor, which attracted over 50,000 visitors. She has collaborated on projects such as the new wing and community hub of the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles, the Reimagining La Brea Tar Pits project, and the Lake Balboa Park project, which highlights habitat restoration and cultural heritage. Tima was awarded a 2017 Emmy for her work on the KCET series Tending the Wild, received the First People’s Fund 2017 Community Spirit Award for her years as a cultural educator, and is featured in the book California Indian Baskets: San Diego to Santa Barbara and Beyond to the San Joaquin Valley, Mountains and Deserts (Vol 2).
Debra Schoonfield is an Art Director and Brand Designer with more than 25 years of experience partnering with organizations to create thoughtful, strategic design solutions that connect brands with people. Her work spans brand identity systems, multi-channel marketing campaigns, digital experiences, presentations, social media, web design, and experiential creative across industries including automotive, healthcare, SaaS, nonprofit, and professional services.
Throughout her career, Debra has led creative initiatives for global brands and organizations including Stellantis, Ford, BBDO, and Tweddle Group, developing scalable visual systems, campaigns, eLearning experiences, and branded communications that balance strategy, storytelling, and execution. She is known for her collaborative approach, strong visual intuition, and ability to bring clarity and consistency to complex projects.
Thomas Allison is a photographer, writer, and filmmaker specializing in conservation and ecological storytelling. Thomas trained as a photojournalist before falling in love with the moving image on a two-year bicycle journey from Alaska to Argentina. When he’s not exploring the world by bike, car, or canoe, Thomas lives in Eugene, Oregon with his wife, Melody and daughter, Juni.
Michael is a designer and mapmaker with a background in newspapers, publishing, and digital media.
Over the past 10 years he has focused his work on regenerative land management, collaborating with foresters, landscape designers, and Indigenous land tenders on land use planning and design.
Most recently Michael designed and produced the graphics for the Agroforestry Handbook for the Pacific Northwest which is a regional guide for integrating economic yields with biodiverse and climate adaptive ecosystems.
Michael spent 9 years at Second Story Interactive Studios designing and developing museum experiences for various institutions including the Library of Congress, Natural History Museum of L.A. County, and The Grammy Museum.
David Harrelson (Kalapuya), Cultural Resources Department Manager Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
