Honoring Native peoples through action
This Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we recognize that honoring Native peoples means more than acknowledging the past. It means taking action to ensure Tribal Nations, their histories, and their contributions are respected in the present and carried forward for future generations.
Learn how Tribal Nations, students, and families in Montana are turning a decades-old promise into a future where every student learns about Native peoples, past and present.
A promise more than 50 years in the making
In Montana, the Indian Education for All (IEFA) initiative represents a promise enshrined in the state constitution more than 50 years ago: that every student would receive an education that includes the histories and cultures of Montana’s Tribal Nations. Yet generations of students went without this education.
In 2021, the Native American Rights Fund (NARF) joined Tribal Nations, students, and families in seeking accountability. This year, a landmark settlement received preliminary court approval. If approved by the court in its final form, it would establish stronger oversight and a meaningful role for Tribal Nations in shaping IEFA’s implementation.
Accurate education is a matter of respect, accountability, and justice.
Your support of NARF helps make this work possible.
Support NARF →By ensuring Native histories are taught truthfully, Montana can help build a future grounded in understanding rather than erasure—one where students learn to recognize the Tribal Nations that have shaped, and continue to shape, the state.
Turn recognition into action
This Indigenous Peoples’ Day, let’s turn recognition into action. Honoring Native peoples means upholding commitments, listening to Tribal Nations, and ensuring future generations inherit a more truthful understanding of our shared history. It means doing the work today to build a future we can be proud to stand on the right side of.
Learn about Indian Education for All →
