Colleena’s being on earth is grounded in her identity as an Anishinaabekwe (Anishinaabe woman). She centers herself in her connections to nibi (water) as a water walker. She enjoys practicing kundalini yoga, meditation, cycling, swimming, and cultural activities. She cultivates kindness and compassion in her everyday life.

Indigenous restorative practice is integral to Colleena’s work as an Indigenous scholar, educator, and leader and intersects Indigenous Education by encouraging and fostering cultural, trauma and resiliency-informed classrooms in K-12 Education and Higher Education communities. She models kindness and compassion in relational learning through topics of Anishinaabe language, culture, and spirituality through her mentoring and coaching.

Colleena received her BA at the University of Minnesota at Morris in American History and American Indian Studies, focusing on Anishinaabe language and culture. She worked as an American Indian High School Student Advocate and K-12 American Indian Home School Liaison for one school year within the Grand Rapids Ojibwe Education Program. She then went on to earn a Master’s degree in American History with a minor in Native American Studies from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

After her graduate studies, Colleena served as an American Indian Education Teacher in Minnesota, 6-12 Dean of Students in both public and Tribal secondary schools. She currently serves as an American Indian Education Liaison at the Northern Sky Regional Center of Excellence. She most recently won the Charles Redd Center Teaching Western History Award for her secondary educational lesson plan entitled, ‘American Indian Cities and Indian Centers: World War II – Red Power Era,’ in 2021.

Colleena currently lives in Grand Rapids and Walker with her daughter, Baashkinaabinesiik, Zayda Apichi, a citizen of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa Indians. She is one of the original peoples and a citizen of White Earth of the Minnesota Anishinaabeg.