We Are The Land: American Indian Life, Legacy and Future in Denver
Stories From Your Community
•
19m
"We are the Land: American Indian Life, Legacy and Future in Denver" is part of the Denver in Context series and aims to recognize how the traditional knowledge and oral histories of American Indians are integral to Denver’s cultural identity. Long before Denver existed as a city, the confluence of Cherry Creek and the South Platte River was a place of profound cultural, spiritual, and political significance for many Native Nations. “We Are the Land” explores that deep history, along with the vibrant contemporary Denver Native community.
At the heart of the project were oral history interviews and two Tribal convenings in Denver, where participants discussed the city as an ancestral homeland, a crossroads, and a sacred place. Conversations also addressed the lasting impact of the Sand Creek Massacre, federal relocation programs, boarding schools, the suppression of Native languages, and the resilience, activism, and cultural renewal that followed. These stories reveal Denver not as a place where Native history ended, but as a hub where Indigenous life has continued, adapted, and flourished.
Oral History Document: https://denvergov.org/files/assets/public/v/2/community-planning-and-development/documents/landmark-preservation/historic-context/we_are_the_land.pdf
Denver in Context Series: https://denvergov.org/Government/Agencies-Departments-Offices/Agencies-Departments-Offices-Directory/Community-Planning-and-Development/Landmark-Preservation/Current-Landmark-Initiatives/Historic-Context-Series
Community Planning & Development: https://denvergov.org/Government/Agencies-Departments-Offices/Agencies-Departments-Offices-Directory/Community-Planning-and-Development
Up Next in Stories From Your Community
-
The Museum for Black Girls
Explore this immersive and interactive museum right in the heart of Denver! Created to inspire and honor black girls, there is so much to see and do, this space is for everyone!
Visit themuseumforblackgirls.com to plan your visit!
-
Are you Down with LCP? New Year, New ...
The Denver Department of Excise and Licenses enter the new year with a new name! Now to be known as the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection.
The renaming aims to better reflect the agency's primary functions, which include licensing various businesses and professionals, investigating ... -
Denver's Emergency Response
In December of 2025, Denver's Office of Emergency Management in coordination with city departments and agencies, as well as additional partners from the private sector conducted a training exercise of Denver's Emergency Operation Center.
Go behind the scenes of the exercise as Denver struggles ...
