October 13, 2025
With the disruption of the US Department of Education, I approached this school year with trepidation. But my child’s school system, which includes many students with disabilities, continues to honor educational plans and fulfill its mission of serving all students, whether schools are legally mandated to do so or not. The most common question teachers asked parents on back-to-school night was the simple but meaningful: How can we help?
Today, October 13, is Indigenous Peoples’ Day. We are continuing to celebrate and honor the histories and cultures of Indigenous peoples from firsthand accounts of listening to nature to advice on how philanthropy can support Native communities. We examine how interrupting narratives of race, class, and gender hierarchies is a key part of movement building, and we present a collection of curated articles by Native leaders.
Columbus Day is still a federal holiday. Indigenous Peoples’ Day is not—but we can honor the day and mark what matters to us: the contributions, rights, and freedom of all peoples. And we must continue to ask: How can we help?
Dr. Alison Stine
Climate Justice
Senior Editor
