Planting Good Relations Panel

 

The Pacific Islands Studies program at the University of Utah presents Planting Good Relations: Pasifika and Native Gardens in Salt Lake City.

This event brings four Native and Pasifika led community gardens in the Salt Lake City area together to discuss the relationships between gardens, food, land, urban Indigeneity, and Indigenous sovereignty. Panelists include Denae Shanidin (Diné) of Carry the Water Garden, Michelle Brown and Dee Platero of the Three Sisters Garden at the Og-Woi Peoples Orchard and Garden, Lisia Satini of the Utah Pacific Islander Civic Engagement Coalition's Margarita Satini mural and garden at the Og-Woi Peoples Orchard and Garden, and Jake Fitisemanu Jr. of the Healthy Roots program.

Denae Shanidiin, Diné and Korean artist and consultant, is asdzáán born to the Diné (Navajo) Nation. She is Honágháahnii, One-Walks-Around Clan, born to the Korean race on her Father’s side. Kinłichíi’nii, the Red House People is her Maternal Grandfather’s Clan and the Bilagáana, White People, is her Paternal Grandfather’s Clan.

Shanidiin’s work reveals the importance of Indigenous spirituality and sovereignty. Her work brings awareness to many contemporary First Nation issues including Missing and Murdered Indigenous People, land body violence, and restoring beauty and balance through reclaiming our Indigenous lifeways.
 
Shanidiin in partnership with other relatives founded the Carry The Water Garden: an Indigenous Healing Garden in the Salt Lake Valley.

He kanaka oiwi ‘o Kalama Ku’ikahi, no Moko ‘o Keawe a Dinetah ‘o ia. Kalama is a Native Hawaiian from the Island of Hawai’i and the Diné Nation. Kalama is a diaspora Hawaiian who was born on the Diné Nation and has spent most of his life living on the nation or in border towns, yet fortunate to have many ohana, including his tutu wahine living in Hawai’i nei and was raised and has remained connected to those ancestral homelands. Kalama is a makuakāne (father) and strives to exist as a good relative to all his ohana in both Hawai’i nei and the Diné Nation.

 

Kalama has worked with BIPOC youth and families for over 20 years in child welfare, youth programming and treatment, and developing juvenile detention alternatives. Kalama currently works as a consultant and contractor working towards Indigenous sovereignty and healing. Kalama is new to the lands of the Great Basin and has been a part of the Carry The Water Garden from its inception.

Michelle currently serves as Chair to MMIW+ Utah and has been featured in PBS Utah. She relies heavily on her belief that learning is an ever evolving process that can be transformative at any stage of life especially when placing that energy back into your community.

Lisia “Sia” Satini, a Community Health Workers Director for the Utah Pacific Islander Health Coalition (UPIHC) born in San Mateo, California to Sesikuana Finau (Ta’anea, Vava’u) and Mafile’o Tafuna (Nuku’alofa, Tongatapu). She serves as an Executive Assistant for Jayhawks and is serving her second term with the Salt Lake City Resident Food Equity Advisors. She partnered with the Utah Food Bank, to offer healthy food customary to the Pacific Islander diet for Pacific Islander food distribution events. She has served on the WIC (Women, Infants, Children) Advisory Board for several years. Lisia and her husband, John have 5 children together residing in Fairpark, Utah.

Board member of local nonprofit PANDOS (Peaceful Advocates for Native Dialogue and Organizing Support). Volunteering  time to re-design website and help communicate their mission through the digital space. Contributing their wide general technology knowledge over years in support, background in computer science, and development in experience.

Jacob "Jake" Fitisemanu Jr., MPH, was born in Wellington, New Zealand, to Karen Dang (Honolulu, Hawai’i) and Jacob Fitisemanu Sr. (Falefā, Sāmoa). Jake and his wife, Lucia Carvalho, first moved to West Valley City as newlyweds 15 years ago, and are proud to be raising their two young daughters in vibrant, growing West Valley.

Jake earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Science (2007) and a Master’s Degree in Public Health (2014) from Westminster College. Having served in many local and statewide capacities, Jake was appointed to the US Census National Advisory Council in 2014 and serves on the Board of Directors of the National Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum. In 2015, Jake was appointed to the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders a role which he served until 2017.

Jake is a Program Manager with the Utah Department of Health and an Associate Instructor at the University of Utah.