To honor and advance the rights and sovereignty of Indigenous communities, we approach the 2023 Indigenous Peoples' Day seeking further understanding and opportunity to continue taking action. We acknowledge that we are on land that has traditionally been, and in many places is currently, cared for by Indigenous people and that the cultures and history of Indigenous communities across the United States are intertwined with the Earth we strive to protect. 

To continue this journey, consider the following actions:

1. Expand Your Understanding of the importance of authentic and lasting relationship-building, "Decolonizing Environmental Education: Building Relationships with Indigenous Peoples." Learn more about the Native Knowledge 360° programs happening throughout the month and visit the Indigenous Peoples' Day Educators Open House on Oct. 9. 

Discover dozens of stories, successes, and insights from Indigenous communities and educators in this Smithsonian Institute collection.

2. Listen to and Amplify Indigenous Voices through your channels. Explore the intersection of Indigenous knowledge and EE in the 2019 talk hosted by Dr. Megan Bang, "Environmental Education and Indigenous Knowledge." Find more resources here.

For those attending the 2023 NAAEE Conference and Research Symposium, we've aggregated the sessions and events centering Native voices, culture, and knowledge. 

3. Join the Movement to improve effective communication by removing harmful language. Examples of commonly used terms such as “sitting Indian style,” “spirit animal," “totem pole” as an expression of someone’s ranking, “tribe” to refer to a group of friends or colleagues, or “Powwow,” when referring to a meeting, and more can be found in this ICTINC article on harmful language.

4. Share the Significance of Indigenous Peoples' Day: As an educator, you may seek out ideas for interactive lesson plans such as those provided by the Zinn Education Project. From educational videos to campaigns for change in popular culture, We Are Teachers has compiled a series of informative and multimedia resources. 

5. Support Community Action by attending or spreading the word about events happening across the country and beyond for Indigenous Peoples' Day 2023. See just some of the upcoming gatherings collected here. 

Find even more inspiration for how you might celebrate and honor our Indigenous communities in this eePRO post on Learning and Teaching About Native History, Culture, and Knowledge, just one piece of our JEDIA collection focusing on justice, equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility for all.