06/05/2026
Mountain West Center for Regional Studies Announces the 2026 Bennion Teachers’ Workshop Keynote Address: Language is Culture, Presented by Charlotta Lacy
The Mountain West Center for Regional Studies at Utah State University hosts its 27th annual Bennion Teachers’ Workshop June 8-12, 2026 on the Logan campus, Dr. Genevieve Ford, at Utah State University, will direct this year’s workshop theme, “Stories That Matter: Understanding Democracy and Native Sovereignty Through Literature & Media.” This interactive workshop empowers teachers to bring Indigenous perspectives into their classrooms with confidence. Educators will explore powerful stories, media, and classroom-ready resources by Native creators that illuminate land rights, cultural protection, and civic engagement. Centering Indigenous voices helps challenge stereotypes, build empathy, support Native students, and foster informed, respectful dialogue for all learners. Ford will be joined by notable speakers and educators including Charlotta Lacy to deliver the keynote address.
On Tuesday, June 9 the Bennion Teachers’ Workshop will host a keynote address by Charlotta Lacy at 6:00 PM with a meet and greet reception starting at 5:30PM within the Mehdi Heravi Global Teaching & Learning Center in the Carolyn Tanner Irish Pavilion, room 201. Her talk will share how the Navajo language protects cultural identity, preserves unique ways of understanding the world, and continues to shape future generations. Hear stories from her work as a translator and heritage language teacher for the Navajo Nation.
The keynote address is open to the public and a light reception will precede it at 5:30PM. Visit the website for more information: https://www.usu.edu/mountainwest/bennion-workshop/index
The Bennion Teachers’ Workshop for the Perpetuation of Democratic Principles is a made possible by an endowment to Utah State University’s Mountain West Center for Regional Studies. The endowment was created by Ione Bennion, a teacher and community activist, to “provide an atmosphere and the educational resources to explore the concepts upon which democracy is built, the conditions under which it flourishes, and the dangers to its existence.” Taught by Utah State University faculty and guest speakers who represent the latest scholarship, the workshops focus on giving in-service and pre-in-service teachers practical tools that they can use in the classroom.
