"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