Celebrating our Native American and Indigenous Communities
In November, we recognize and celebrate Native American and Indigenous community members in our college. This is a time to celebrate cultures, traditions, and histories, as well as to acknowledge the important contributions of the original inhabitants of North America. We also seek to bring awareness to our engineering community about Native tribes and the unique challenges Native people have faced, both historically and in the present.
This page includes resources on our Native American and Indigenous communities. Let us seek “” with one another and respect the value of Indigenous science, engineering, and traditional knowledge this month and every month.
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.
Read more about CU Boulder's land acknowledgement.
CU Boulder among top colleges for Indigenous students
CU Boulder's AISES chapter attends the 2024 national AISES Conference in San Antonio.
The American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) has recognized CU Boulder as one of the top 200 colleges for Indigenous students in its 2024-2025 national rankings.
AISES, a national organization dedicated to increasing Indigenous representation in STEM fields, evaluated schools based on the strength of their support programs for Native students, as well as undergraduate enrollment and graduation rates.
Upcoming Events
Tuesday, Nov. 19. 3-5 p.m., University Memorial Center (UMC), Room 457
Join this screening of the documentary RISE: Sacred Water Standing Rock and a discussion to follow. Food and beverages provided. Hosted by the Center for Student Involvement.
Wednesday, Nov. 20. 2-4 p.m., CU Art Museum
Join CU Boulder Art Museum for an evening of conversation, art and community with Tiana Boisseau-Palo (she/her), a Creek-Cherokee printmaker.
American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES)
"I really appreciate the community AISES has developed. Everyone is always very supportive and we push each other to be greater. We are a small little group, but we reach for the stars together!"
"AISES is family friends and a home away from home."
"I enjoy AISES spending time with fellow indigenous students who also know what the struggle is like. I think it has built a great community, even though it's small, that is always supportive."
Annalise Hildebrand (MechEngr’23)
Member of the Menominee Nation and the American Indian Science and Engineering Society
Resources
- Colorado Places: Their Native American Names is a project to document in one place all the Indigenous place names known for Colorado.
- - Indigenous artists and activists united to pass MMIR SB22-150, sponsored by four Colorado lawmakers, which aimed to specifically address the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous people in Colorado.
- features a sampling of work by 47 Native Nations poets through an interactive ArcGIS Story Map and a newly developed Library of Congress audio collection.
