Published: Nov. 2, 2023 • By Tori Manogue (MENV DEI GSA) and Michelle Cadena (Assistant Director of Diversity Affairs and Student Success)

 

Happy National Native American Heritage MonthNational Native American Heritage Month, recognizes and celebrates the history, culture, and impact of Native American communities. We acknowledge the harm that has been done to Indigenous communities in the USA and around the world. We recognize that Native American communities have been fighting and doing work in climate justice and environmental justice areas for many centuries and we learn from, uplift and support their work in this field.  

 

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.

Native Land 

MENV wants to highlight events, people and organizations who illuminate the intersections between Native American and Indigenous communities and what we do here at MENV.   

  

Events 

Boulder 

Denver 

  

People and Organizations  

Robin Wall Kimmerer

  • Author of “Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants” 

Dina Gilio-Whitaker  

  • Author of “As Long as Grass Grows: The Indigenous Fight for Environmental Justice, From Colonization to Standing Rock 

Xiuhtezcatl Martinez 

  • Environmental activist, hip-hop artist and author of “We Rise: The Earth Guardians Guide to Building a Movement That Restores the Planet 

Natives Outdoors 

  • A Native-owned creative and athletic collective 

Native Women’s Wilderness 

  • “created to bring Native women together to share our stories, support each other, and learn from one another as we endeavor to explore and celebrate the wilderness and our native lands. 

Indigenous Women Hike

Native American Food Sovereignty Alliance 

  • “The Native American Food Sovereignty Alliance (NAFSA) supports Native communities nationally with advocacy, education, and networking as they revitalize their indigenous food systems.” 

Womxn from the Mountain 

  • “A Womxn-led Indigenous Non-Profit working to clean and protect our communities and our Biosphere.” 

Four Directions Cuisine 

  • “Rooted in Indigenous culture and trained in classical techniques, Chef Andrea Murdoch is committed to making our world a healthier, more beautiful and sustainable home, one plate at a time.” 

Tribal and Indigenous Planning Division 

  • “To promote awareness and action on Tribal and Indigenous planning issues for Tribal and Indigenous planners, peoples, nations, and their non-Tribal partners.” 

Indigenous Community Planning 

  • “The Indigenous Community Planning project in DUSP is a multi-disciplinary research and teaching effort that seeks to center Indigeneity within the field of urban planning.” 

Acequia Assistance Project 

  • “The Acequia Assistance Project is a joint effort by the Getches-Wilkinson Center, Colorado Open Lands, and the Sangre de Cristo Acequia Association to provide low or no-cost legal assistance and educational materials to Colorado’s 

Cultural Survival’s Advocacy Program 

  • “advocates for Indigenous Peoples' rights and supports Indigenous communities’ self-determination, cultures and political resilience, since 1972.” 

Spirit of the Sun 

  • “Indigenous-led nonprofit based in Denver, CO with the mission of empowering Native communities through youth-focused work” 

Alliance for Tribal Clean Energy 

  • “nonprofit organization offering no-cost capacity-building support to tribes through four key pillars – built on a strong foundation of Native American culture and values.” 

Tribal Energy Project Database

  • From the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Indian Energy 

   

Resources & organizations (source)