Francis IV, Lee
Lee Francis IV (Laguna Pueblo) is an educator, activist, poet, and comic creator with over fifteen years of experience teaching and conducting workshops with minority populations, especially in and around Indigenous and Native American communities in North America. His career has ranged through all aspects of education, from PreK to Higher Ed, from teaching to administration. His primary focus has always been on positive youth development and student success, with an eye towards the arts and exploring creativity in all aspects of education. He began his career with the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Washington DC and spent a number of years in New Mexico working with the Pueblo of Laguna Department of Education. He has served as the National Director of a Native American community-youth development organization, Wordcraft Circle, Inc., that focuses on promoting stories as a means of local development and cultural sustainability. He is an award winning poet and performer, being published in numerous journals and appearing on stages around the U.S. He holds a PhD from Texas State University, and is CEO & Publisher at Native Realities Press.