This summer, while many students and educators enjoy a well-earned break, Diné science teacher Kim Etsitty of Navajo Pine High School will be embarking on two extraordinary expeditions that will take her across some of the most remote regions of our planet.
Originally from Chinle and a graduate of Chinle High School, Etsitty has spent more than a decade teaching Diné students and helping bridge Indigenous knowledge with Western science. She also serves as an Indigenous Science Curriculum Writer and a NASA Solar System Ambassador, inspiring the next generation of scientists and explorers.
Beginning in June, Etsitty will sail aboard the Exploration Vessel Nautilus as a 2026 Lead Science Communication Fellow with the Ocean Exploration Trust. In this leadership role, she will help mentor new fellows while sharing real-time discoveries as scientists map the seafloor between Hawaiʻi and Guam. She previously sailed aboard Nautilus in 2024 and now returns as one of only a handful of lead fellows selected nationwide.
In July, she will continue her journey as a 2026 Grosvenor Teacher Fellow with the National Geographic Society, traveling to Greenland and Iceland to explore Arctic environments and bring those experiences back to her students and community.
Etsitty often speaks about connecting ocean science to Diné history and culture, reminding students that the shells and coral found in Navajo jewelry tell the story of ancient oceans that once covered parts of Diné Bikéyah.
“Kim Etsitty represents the very best of the Navajo Nation. She is showing our young people that no dream is too big and that Diné knowledge and scientific discovery can go hand in hand,” said Buu Nygren.
Community members can follow her upcoming expedition through Nautilus Live, where viewers will be able to watch livestreams, interact with scientists, and experience ocean exploration in real time.
Congratulations, Kim, and thank you for carrying Diné excellence from the red rocks of Chinle to the oceans of the world.
