by Leigh Houser, 5th Grade Lead Teacher

I’m presenting at the Dairy Arts Center this Sunday for Indigenous Peoples’ Day… and I’m absolutely terrified.

As a white woman, my antiracist journey has been anything but straightforward. I’ve made missteps, misspoken, failed to listen deeply enough—and thankfully, I’ve also experienced growth and meaningful progress. One of the most important spaces shaping this journey has been Friends School. I’m grateful that because of this special community, many stars have aligned to support my path.

Star 1: A Seed
Years ago, Friends School sent me to the PBL World Conference in California, where keynote speaker Dr. Christopher Emdin spoke powerfully about education as social justice. He said bluntly, “You must see your pedagogy as protest.” That statement planted a seed. I agreed in theory, but I didn’t yet understand how to live it out in practice.

Star 2: A Silver Lining in a Loss
Around the same time, COVID changed everything. One big shift for me was the cancellation of our fifth-grade trip to Mesa Verde and Crow Canyon Archaeological Center. That trip had anchored our curriculum, and without it, the unit no longer made sense. I’ll be honest—I was disappointed. But with time, I saw what had been problematic: students often left thinking of Native people as part of the past, not as vibrant, living communities. The loss of that trip created space to imagine something more truthful and just.

Star 3: A Connector and Friend
Determined to build something better, I dove into learning—reading, watching, and listening. My first stop was our librarian, deana harragarra waters, who has been at Friends since 1999. Many of you know deana is Kiowa and Otoe. She’s incredibly generous with her time and insight, especially when it comes to supporting those truly committed to learning. 

Star 4: A Confluence
Through deana, I met Rick Williams (Oglala Lakota, Northern Cheyenne), founder of the Native nonprofit People of the Sacred Land. That introduction changed everything. At the time, Rick was leading a project with Native researchers to uncover the true history of Native People in Colorado. As he learned about my curriculum work, he invited me into the process. Eventually, he asked if I’d help turn the research into curriculum for both elementary and middle school students.

When I said “yes” in 2023, I didn’t know how transformative it would be. I’ve learned so much—about history, about myself, and about what “pedagogy as protest” can actually look like in practice. It has taken two and a half years to write this curriculum, and it’s currently being shared with BVSD and beyond.  But this isn’t the end of the work. I’m still learning, still evolving, because I’m committed.  

I invite you to join me. Come to the Dairy Arts Center this Sunday, October 12, for Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Right Relationship Boulder will be presenting “Breaking Barriers to Native Education for All”. Connect with and learn from Native educators, makers and chefs. Honor their stories, their work, and their living cultures…and consider how you might commit to stand alongside Native communities; not just in celebration, but in ongoing efforts for truth, healing, and justice. Like the stars that have aligned to guide my journey, let this day remind us that we all have a place in this constellation of change.