Happy Colorado Day! Today marks the 147-year anniversary of Colorado becoming an official state, and, throughout the week, many organizations and communities are offering free events and celebrations. As we celebrate all that makes Colorado wonderful, we invite you to join us in acknowledging that this land has been a home to many peoples for so much longer than we’ve known it as the Centennial State.
鶹ѰBoulder was founded the same year Colorado achieved statehood in 1876, and the law school was established shortly after in 1892. 鶹ѰBoulder and Colorado Law recognize that we sit on the traditional territories and ancestral homelands of the Arapaho, Cheyenne, Ute, and many other Native American Nations. The University’s Land Acknowledgment ٲٱ:
The 鶹Ѱ, Colorado’s flagship university, honors and recognizes the many contributions of Indigenous peoples in our state. 鶹ѰBoulder acknowledges that it is located on the traditional territories and ancestral homelands of the Cheyenne, Arapaho, Ute and many other Native American nations. Their forced removal from these territories has caused devastating and lasting impacts. While the 鶹Ѱ can never undo or rectify the devastation wrought on Indigenous peoples, we commit to improving and enhancing engagement with Indigenous peoples and issues locally and globally.
, Council Tree Professor of Law and Director of the American Indian Law Program, stated: “On Colorado Day, and indeed every day, we are committed to engaging more fully with the tribal governments and Indigenous communities for whom Colorado is a homeland. Last year, working with the Native American Rights Fund, our law students participated in a workshop on human rights with the Northern Arapaho Business Council in Wyoming.” Carpenter added, “Last month, we visited the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes Language Department in Oklahoma to assist with law and linguistic aspects of language revitalization. This year, I hope we will have even more opportunities to foster mutual education and service, and to work with the Ute, Cheyenne, and other peoples.”
As we celebrate Colorado, we also honor the region’s complex and multifaceted past, present, and future.