Jozer Guerrero preforms a spoken word poem during Indigenous People’s Day on Oct. 12, 2016. (Jackson Barnett/CU Independent File)
The city of Boulder recognized Indigenous People’s Day on Monday. Last year, the city passed a resolution to change the holiday from Columbus Day to a day recognizing Native Americans.
Numerous cities around the country, including Denver and Los Angeles, have made the change. The city of Boulder has cited its goal “to recognize and honor the existence, culture and contributions of the original inhabitants of North America.”
Multiple Native American tribes are indigenous to the Boulder and Denver area, including the Ute, Cheyenne and Arapaho. The city of Boulder wants to focus on the Native American culture of the Boulder area. They also want to provide accurate history about Native Americans. To that end, many events about Native American history and culture are occurring this week.
On Monday, the Boulder Public Library hosted a film screening, poetry reading and panel discussion about Native American life in Boulder. Additionally, the Native American Rights Fund hosted an open house. The White Horse Creek Council held a discussion and pow-wow at the Boulder bandshell. On Tuesday, the city of Boulder staff held an open house to discuss the implementation of Boulder’s Indigenous Peoples Day Resolution. First Congregational Church also hosted a discussion titled “Taking Steps Toward Right Relationship with Native Peoples in Boulder.”
More activities are scheduled for later in the week. On Wednesday, Boulder Public Library is holding a free screening of “What Was Ours.” The documentary features Northern Arapaho students searching for objects taken from their tribes.
Contact CU Independent Senior News Editor Carina Julig at carina.julig@colorado.edu.
