STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, COLORADO-October 22, 2021-Tuesday evening, City Council unanimously adopted a land acknowledgement with the intent to bring awareness to the history of Indigenous People in the Yampa Valley.
“This is a very important first step,” commented Steamboat Springs High School junior Macy Reisman, who worked on the language with the city and spoke during the council meeting. “But people of color are disproportionally impoverished within our community, and I would encourage you to keep acting toward things like this.”
The city’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) committee worked with students from Steamboat Springs High School’s social justice group and a representative of the Ute Indian Tribe (residing on the Uintah and Ouray reservation in Northeastern Utah) to develop an indigenous land acknowledgement.
The acknowledgement reads:
Steamboat Springs, as a community, acknowledges that this land is part of the homelands of the Indigenous Ute Tribes. Steamboat further acknowledges the continual fortitude of indigenous culture of Native Americans today. We will work to uplift Native Americans and strive for equality in our communities and beyond.
The intent of the acknowledgement is to bring awareness to the history of Indigenous Peoples in the Steamboat Springs area and to commit to a collaborative relationship with the Ute Nation moving forward. The DEI committee recommends that the ILA be published on the city’s website and used at various city public ceremonies connected to the land including ground breakings for new facilities, and trail dedications.
The land acknowledgement follows a proclamation in 2020 recognizing the Indigenous Peoples of the Yampa Valley for their contributions to the land, water, plants, animals, and people of Steamboat Springs, Colorado and the Yampa Valley which was first inhabited by the Yampatrika or Yampatika band of the Ute Tribe.
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Contact
Jennifer Bock, Assistant City Attorney, 970.871.8218 or email
Gary Suiter, City Manager, 970.871.8225 or email
Michael Lane, Communications Manager, 970.871.8220 or email