HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024 - RESO 29 - Land AcknowledgementCITY OF WHEAT RIDGE, COLORADO RESOLUTION NO. 29 Series of 2024
TITLE: RESOLUTION NO. 29-2024 – A RESOLUTION APPROVING
THE ADOPTION OF A LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
STATEMENT FOR THE CITY OF WHEAT RIDGE
WHEREAS, the Wheat Ridge City Council directed staff to create a Land
Acknowledgement Committee with the purpose of developing a land acknowledgement
statement for the City; and
WHEREAS, the Land Acknowledgement Committee dedicated time and energy toward extensive research and collaboration with various Tribal leaders to draft a formal land acknowledgement statement; and
WHEREAS, the City of Wheat Ridge rests on the traditional territory of the
Cheyenne, the Arapaho, and the Ute; and
WHEREAS, the City of Wheat Ridge is committed to building authentic and respectful relationships with Tribal Nations, specifically those with connections to Wheat Ridge; and
WHEREAS, the City of Wheat Ridge desires to continue moving this important
work forward through the IDEA Committee with the newly developed action plan as a starting point.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Wheat Ridge City Council, that:
Section 1. The City Council approves and adopts the Land Acknowledgement Statement (Exhibit A). Section 2. This Resolution shall be effective upon adoption.
DONE AND RESOLVED this 10th day of June 2024.
Bud Starker, Mayor ATTEST:
______
Margy Greer, Sr. Deputy City Clerk
EXHIBIT A
Land Acknowledgement Statement for the City of Wheat Ridge
We pause to acknowledge that we are on the traditional territory of the Tsétsėhéstȧhese
(TSE-STEST-AHESE), the Hinono’ei (HE-NINO-E) and the Nuu-ciu (NOON-CHEE),
commonly named the Cheyenne, the Arapaho, and the Ute. We further recognize the
48 contemporary Tribal Nations who lived on the lands that make up the State of
Colorado. Members of many Tribal Nations lived here, specifically, because the land
took care of them. It was also the site of trade, hunting, gathering, and healing for many
Tribal Nations. As inhabitants of these spaces, we honor the Tribal Nations
interconnected human relationship to land, air, and water. The expansion of
industrialized civilization on this land came at a dire cost to these Tribes and their
descendants.
As residents of Wheat Ridge, we commit to reconciling our problematic history by
building authentic and respectful connections with members of Tribal Nations. May this
acknowledgement demonstrate a commitment to working to dismantle ongoing legacies
of oppression and inequities and recognize the current and future contributions of
Indigenous communities in Wheat Ridge.
As we move through our community, give pause to connect with the land that you are
currently standing on. Now introduce yourself spiritually; build a relationship with Mother
Earth that provides for all our relations. Please take a moment to honor these ancestral
grounds and celebrate the resilience and strength shown by people who are
Indigenous.