Land Acknowledgement

In 2016, the city of Denver designated the second Monday in October as “Indigenous Peoples’ Day.” The day is meant to remind us of the vast contributions made to Denver through Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge, science, philosophy, arts, and culture. It is also meant to recognize the historic discrimination and violence inflicted upon Native American peoples throughout the Americas. The forced removal from ancestral lands and the deliberate, systematic destruction of communities and culture resulted in high poverty rates, and disparities in education, health, and socioeconomic status for American Indian peoples that we see reflected in our country today.

In the spirit of healing and education, the vestry would like to acknowledge the 48 contemporary tribes with historic ties to the state of Colorado. We recognize these Indigenous Peoples as the original stewards of this land and that, when we gather together at the cathedral, we are worshipping on their unceded ancestral lands.