During Indigenous Heritage Month, we celebrate the diverse histories, cultures, and contributions of our Indigenous community members. Celebrating Indigenous culture and honoring lived experiences in educational spaces is vital to achieving educational equity.
We want to take a moment to provide an update on LAEP’s year-round and long-term commitment to better supporting Indigenous children, families, and educators.
Last year, we released our new strategic plan, which identified a need to focus more efforts on Indigenous populations. Through a series of intentional professional development, staff is engaging in learning around liberation and the specific areas of note when working with Indigenous students, families, and educators.
Over the summer, we brought together about 250 educational leaders from across Southern California for a conference focused on centering Indigenous and Black students. Programming included a panel of Indigenous and Black students sharing what they want educators to know about their schools, as well as a session by ataaxum Pomkwaan, Inc., an Indigenous-led organization serving Native and Indigenous youth and families in Riverside and San Diego Counties.
We are planning further learning and opportunities, both internally and with partner educators.
We acknowledge that this work is just beginning, and we have a long way to go. We remain committed to continued learning and programming that honors the history, traditions, and lived experiences of Indigenous peoples – this month and far beyond.