She:kon! Hello! My name is Cara Loft, and I am the Educational Developer for Indigenous Knowledges and Pedagogies at the University of Guelph. I am a proud Mohawk (Kanienkehake) woman from Tyendinaga (Kehn: teke) First Nation who currently resides in Kitchener, ON. I completed my Bachelors in Health Sciences, and my Masters in Cultural Analysis and Social Theory, at Wilfrid Laurier University. I also received a Post Graduate Certificate in International Development, and a Teaching Excellence Certificate, from Humber College. I have worked as a Staff, and Faculty, in decolonial and indigenized programming at post-secondary institutions in Ontario. I am passionate about decolonizing education and the potential to create more wholistic teaching and learning environments, in post-secondary institutions. I am a proud Indigenous hand drum carrier and traditional song keeper. I was born in London, ON and grew up in a small farming community called Ilderton, ON. I am also a dog mom to an English Cocker Spaniel named Chloe. In addition to my role as an Educational Developer, I also facilitate community development through arts projects like singing, drumming, sewing, photography, and poetry. I completed an Indigi-Orchestral Project in November of 2022 called Ka’shatsténshera: The Power and Unity of Music in partnership with Dr. Kira Omelchenko at Wilfrid Laurier University. My interests are in examining musical cultural practices and their effect on wholistic well-being. Nia:wen! Thanks! Cara.