CU Boulder Land Acknowledgement

Shot of Campus from Above

Land Acknowledgement

Land acknowledgments honor the contributions, histories and place-based knowledge of Indigenous peoples with historic and contemporary ties to lands across what is today known as the United States. Land acknowledgments also recognize the devastating and lasting impacts of the forced assimilation and forced removal of Indigenous peoples from their traditional territories and ancestral homelands, including the lands that are now part of Colorado and the University of Colorado Boulder.

CU Boulder, founded the same year Colorado became a state in 1876, recognizes that it sits on the traditional territories and ancestral homelands of the Arapaho, Cheyenne, Ute and many other Native American nations. Recognizing the history of the state, the university and the campus’s origin story, however difficult, and the histories and experiences of the Indigenous peoples who have lived in these territories for millennia aligns with the campus’s academic and research missions as Colorado’s flagship public research university.

CU Boulder’s land acknowledgment is an iterative work in progress and is expected to evolve over time. While it is not a requirement, students, faculty and staff may read the land acknowledgement during campus meetings and use it in email signatures and on campus websites to show their support for the success and well-being of Indigenous students, faculty and staff at CU Boulder, for Native American communities in Colorado and nationwide, and for First Peoples worldwide.

University of Colorado Boulder Land Acknowledgment

The University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado’s flagship university, honors and recognizes the many contributions of Indigenous peoples in our state. CU Boulder acknowledges that it is located on the traditional territories and ancestral homelands of the Cheyenne, Arapaho, Ute and many other Native American nations. Their forced removal from these territories has caused devastating and lasting impacts. While the University of Colorado Boulder can never undo or rectify the devastation wrought on Indigenous peoples, we commit to improving and enhancing engagement with Indigenous peoples and issues locally and globally.

 We will do this by:

  • Recognizing and amplifying the voices of Indigenous CU Boulder students, staff and faculty and their work. 
  • Educating, conducting research, supporting student success and integrating Indigenous knowledge.
  • Consulting, engaging and working collaboratively with tribal nations to enhance our ability to provide access and culturally sensitive support and to recruit, retain and graduate Native American students in a climate that is inclusive and respectful.

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