Indigenous Peoples Day Highlights Native History and Education

Indigenous Peoples Day is bringing renewed attention to Native American history, cultural resilience, and educational representation as Indigenous communities across the United States celebrate their heritage and challenge historical narratives shaped by colonialism. Observed through ceremonies, dances, and speeches, the day also highlights efforts to preserve tribal languages and ensure future generations understand Indigenous peoples as living communities with distinct histories and cultures.

Former President Joe Biden officially commemorated Indigenous Peoples Day in 2021. Since then, an increasing number of states and cities have recognized the observance, shifting attention away from celebrations centered on explorer Christopher Columbus toward the experiences and contributions of Indigenous peoples.

For Sharen Kickingwoman, a member of the A'aaniih and Blackfeet nations and advocacy, policy, and organizing director at the ACLU of Montana, the occasion underscores the importance of education that accurately represents Native communities. In an account published by the ACLU, she described discovering a tipi outside her former school in Montana as her daughter began kindergarten, prompting questions about whether the next generation would receive the Indigenous education she had missed.

Kickingwoman recalled growing up in Missoula, Montana, where Native students were often represented as figures from the past rather than members of contemporary communities. She said her schooling offered few opportunities to learn about Montana's tribal nations, their languages, or the richness of their cultures. Her understanding changed after she left the state for college and encountered Native classmates, professors, and historical accounts absent from her earlier education.

Her family's experience also illustrates how Indigenous knowledge can disappear between generations. Her father, Kevin Kickingwoman, grew up on the Blackfeet Reservation in Browning, Montana. Although his parents spoke Blackfoot, they did not pass the language down to him, prompting him to pursue learning it later in life.

When Kickingwoman's father interviewed for a position teaching Blackfoot, he had limited proficiency in the language. Asked what he knew, he offered to sing songs, performing those requested by the interviewers before agreeing to learn more. He eventually became a teacher of Blackfoot language, culture, and Blackfeet history in Browning.

In 2024, Kevin Kickingwoman was named Montana Teacher of the Year. His work demonstrates how language instruction and cultural education can help restore knowledge that earlier generations did not have the opportunity to inherit.

Kickingwoman also highlighted Montana's Indian Education for All initiative, which seeks to ensure students learn about the region's tribal nations. Montana's Constitution recognizes the state's distinctive cultural heritage and commits public schools to preserving the cultural integrity of American Indians. In 1999, the Montana legislature passed legislation establishing Indian Education for All to give every public school student an opportunity to learn about tribal nations in the region.

The initiative applies to all students, not only those who identify as Native American. Kickingwoman argued that education about Indigenous communities can counter stereotypes and create opportunities for greater understanding and respect.

Earlier in 2026, the ACLU of Montana and its partners reached a landmark settlement with the Montana Office of Public Instruction. According to Kickingwoman's account, the agreement would establish long-awaited accountability measures intended to help ensure schools teach the histories, cultures, governments, and contributions of Montana's tribal nations.

For Kickingwoman, educational representation also has a personal dimension. She hopes her daughter will encounter authentic portrayals of Indigenous people in school without being treated as a token representative of her community. She also wants her daughter's classmates to develop a deeper understanding of Native peoples and their heritage.

Kevin Kickingwoman has expressed hope that his grandchildren will speak Blackfoot and carry forward the songs and knowledge that previous generations worked to preserve. His family's experience highlights the continuing role of education in maintaining Indigenous languages and cultural traditions.