LAND ACKNOWLEDMENT

We recognize that the land on which we reside is the traditional territory of the Ute, Cheyenne, and Arapaho Peoples, and also recognize the 48 contemporary tribal nations that are historically tied to the lands that make up the state of Colorado. We recognize that Indigenous people have been displaced from their homelands and that U.S. public policy has been used to displace Indigenous communities, erode Tribal Nation sovereignty, and forcibly assimilate Native individuals into U.S. society. We must recognize Indigenous peoples as the original stewards of this land and as these words of acknowledgment are spoken and heard, remember the ties these nations still have to their traditional homelands. Let us acknowledge the painful history of genocide and forced removal from this territory and pay our respect to the diverse Indigenous peoples still connected to this land. Let us also give thanks to all Tribal Nations and the ancestors of this place.