In November, Rye Country Day celebrated Native American Heritage Month. One of the ways in which RCDS recognized the rich ancestry and traditions of Native Americans was through selected readings during community meeting time. 

At an Upper School Community Meeting on November 25, the three leaders of the Upper School literary magazine, Omega, selected a poem to share with their peers. Isabela Pierry ’25, Ambika Nott ’25, and Annabella Yu ’26 read “Praise the Rain” by Joy Harjo, a member of the Muscogee Creek Nation and 23rd Poet Laureate of the U.S. On the following day at the Middle School Community Meeting on November 26, Middle School Principal Pen Vineyard read the story We Are Grateful by Traci Sorrell, a children’s book about the Cherokee cultural importance of otsaliheliga (giving thanks). 

At both community meetings, Assistant Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Joshua Rivera spoke about the importance of land acknowledgments, when the Indigenous tribes who cultivated and lived on the land are formally recognized. Mr. Rivera acknowledged the Wappinger and Lenape Indigenous tribes and peoples whose land RCDS is on and recognized their ancestors who lived in what we now call Rye, NY. Both the Middle and Upper Schools then held a moment of silence to respect and honor the tribes and the land sacred to the Wappinger and Munsee Lenape peoples. 

In the Lower School, classes participated in read-alouds of both books written by Indigenous authors and books featuring Indigenous stories and characters. 

The DEI Office encouraged all students to learn about and uplift the Indigenous population and engaged students further in ways in which they could appropriately respect the Indigenous peoples of the Americas.