Born and raised on the Navajo Nation, it is the wisdom of her homelands that shapes Jaclyn Roessel’s cosmovision. Experience as a museum professional, cultural arts producer and curator confirmed her belief of the inherent power of utilizing cultural learning as a tool to engage and build stronger communities. Molded by her grandmothers, Jaclyn has fostered a praxis that utilizes Indigenous ways of knowing and decolonized methodologies as a catalyst to build cultural equity in organizations like the San Antonio Museum of Art, San Diego Museum of Us and more. Whether it is as the founder of her company Grownup Navajo, in her poetic writings, or in her work as a cultural justice & equity consultant, Jaclyn is motivated by the pursuit of Indigenous excellence and the action to radically imagine futures where Native peoples’ lands and cultures are thriving, revered and protected. She is director of decolonized futures and radical dreams at the US Department of Arts & Cultures as well as a co-founder of Native Women Lead.

Most importantly, Jaclyn is a wife, mother and lives with her family in the Pueblo of Tamaya in New Mexico.