March 30, 2024
8:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Student Union Vallecito Room
$8 Adult | $4 Youth | Age 2 & Under Free
Celebrate the Hozhoni Days Powwow, and join FLC Alumni and members of the Native American Alumni Chapter for a delicious breakfast. Reconnect with fellow Alumni, listen to our featured guest speakers, and catch up on chapter and FLC updates. (RSVP via the form below)
This year's featured speakers include two amazing Indigenous FLC Alumni, Shawn Martinez and Leo Vicenti.
Shawn Martinez is the Senior Director of Live Presentation for the Phoenix Suns and Mercury. He oversees the strategy and execution of all in-game live production and entertainment elements for the organizations. Martinez grew up in Fort Defiance, Arizona, in the Navajo Nation and is an enrolled member of the Diné/Navajo Tribe. He received his bachelor's degree in communications and fine arts and launched an entertainment career under the stage alias The Iceman/DJ Tribal Touch.
Before joining the Suns and Mercury, Shawn worked with the Denver Nuggets and the Detroit Pistons. Beyond basketball, Martinez regularly mentors Native youth and shares his Indigenous roots and career journey at nationwide events. In 2022, Martinez performed at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian to celebrate Native veterans and the dedication of the National Native American Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. As DJ Tribal Touch, Martinez has performed coast to coast at some of sports and entertainment's biggest events. Martinez helped lead and played a pivotal role in the Suns’ efforts to recognize the local Native American community in unique ways. Martinez is the recipient of many awards, including the Arizona American Indian Excellence in Leadership “Man of the Year” Award and the NBA Values of the Game Award.
Leo Vicenti (Jicarilla Apache) is an Assistant Professor of Communication Design at Emily Carr University of Art + Design. He holds an MFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) in Visual Communication Design and a BA in Graphic Design from Fort Lewis College (FLC).
His current research approaches indigenous language preservation, revitalization, and the return of these languages to everyday use through the development of language support in typography and representation in the design field. He maintains practice-based research in exhibition design alongside his creative pursuits in visual communication design.