Deana Dartt, PhD (Director) is Coastal Chumash and Mestiza, descending from the indigenous people of the Californias. Her scholarly and professional work strives to address the incongruities between public understanding, representation and true acknowledgement of Native peoples, their cultures, histories and contemporary lives. She earned her MA and PhD from the University of Oregon and has held curatorial positions at the Burke Museum of Natural and Cultural History and the Portland Art Museum as well as teaching appointments at the University of Oregon, University of Washington, and Northwest Indian College. Her book manuscript titled, “Subverting the Master Narrative: Museums, Power and Native Life in California” is currently in prep. Deana serves on the boards of the University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History Advisory Council and the Native Coast Action Network, as well as the non-profit organization she recently established, the Live Oak Center for Applied Decolonization (LOCAD). 

Heron Brae is a distinguished community builder, educator, and facilitator with over 25 years of experience in grassroots intersectional anti-oppression movements. She holds a B.S. in Botany and Ecology from the Evergreen State College and has dedicated her career to fostering connections between humans and the land. Heron is deeply committed to decolonial work, emphasizing the necessity of personal and community healing as a foundation for systemic change. Her expertise spans botany, ecology, herbalism, and ethical wildcrafting, with a particular focus on the colonial context of these practices.

Heron's approach is rooted in peer-to-peer listening within a liberation framework, where emotional empathy and un-numbing play crucial roles. As a descendant of early settlers to the U.S., she has engaged profoundly with her Celtic and Germanic heritage, confronting systems of power and healing ancestral trauma and shame. This personal journey informs her professional work, where she co-facilitates training sessions at Live Oak Consulting, including affinity groups for non-Native people to build emotional resilience and decolonial skills. In her teachings, Heron guides individuals in harvesting, using, and caring for wild plants, always mindful of their historical and cultural significance. Her work is characterized by a deep emotional empathy and a commitment to facing historical injustices. Outside of her professional endeavors, Heron finds joy in camping in remote locations, harvesting wild plants, cooking, loving her community, and marveling at life's mysteries.