Dr. Porter Swentzell (Santa Clara Pueblo) is an educator, scholar, and community leader whose work centers on Pueblo history, Indigenous education, and the continuity of cultural knowledge systems. He serves as Executive Director of Kha’p’o Community School, a tribally controlled dual-language (Tewa/English) elementary school at Santa Clara Pueblo, where he leads efforts in language revitalization, place-based curriculum development, and community-driven education.
Dr. Swentzell previously served as Associate Professor of Indigenous Liberal Studies at the Institute of American Indian Arts, where he also held leadership roles as Department Chair and Associate Academic Dean. His academic and professional work has focused on Indigenous knowledge systems, environmental relationships, and culturally grounded approaches to teaching and learning.
His scholarship includes publications on Indigenous education, sustainability, and Pueblo history, as well as collaborative work on Tewa language documentation and curriculum. He has contributed to public scholarship through lectures, community-engaged work, and film, including serving as an advisor and historian for No Greater Act: Pueblo Resistance.
Dr. Swentzell has served as a Regent for Northern New Mexico College and as a Tribal Official for Santa Clara Pueblo. He holds a Ph.D. in Justice Studies from Arizona State University, an M.A. from Western New Mexico University, and a B.A. from Northern New Mexico College.