The city of Durango is contemplating how and when to write and roll out an official Indigenous land acknowledgment as part of its efforts to improve diversity, equity and inclusion.

Previously, former Mayor Barbara Noseworthy recited her own personal land acknowledgment at the beginning of City Council meetings, special meetings and joint meetings between the council and other entities. But she always clearly said it was her own statement and it did not necessarily represent City Council collectively or the city as a whole.

Examples of land acknowledgments

Former Durango Mayor Barbara Noseworthy’s land acknowledgment read as follows:

• “This is my statement. It does not reflect the council or any individual council member. For thousands of years, this region was home to numerous people, bands, tribes and nations. Each had their distinct culture, artistic expression and community morays. In particular, this region was the ancestral home of the Nuuchiu, Diné, Pueblo, Hopi, multiple Apache bands, and various other tribes and Latinx people who used and stewarded this land. “I recognize that Indigenous peoples were forcibly removed from their ancestral lands by the U.S. government. It is important to recognize that the narrative of this region has mostly been told from the dominant perspective without recognition of those who came before us and who to this day continue to thrive, create and connect with this land. Thank you for your respect in my acknowledging this legacy.”

Fort Lewis College uses a similar land acknowledgment to precede on-campus events. As with Noseworthy’s statement, the college calls attention to the U.S. government’s forcible removal of the Nuuchiu people from their ancestral homelands and recognizes the various tribes and nations that occupied the region well before the United States. It reads:

• “We acknowledge the land that Fort Lewis College is situated upon is the ancestral land and territory of the Nuuchiu (Ute) people who were forcibly removed by the United States government,” the statement says. “We also acknowledge that this land is connected to the communal and ceremonial spaces of the Jicarilla Apache (Apache), Pueblos of New Mexico, Hopi Sinom (Hopi), and Diné (Navajo) Nations. It is important to acknowledge this setting because the narratives of the lands in this region have long been told from dominant perspectives, without full recognition of the original land stewards who continue to inhabit and connect with this land. Thank you for your attention and respect in acknowledging this important legacy.”

Noseworthy’s land acknowledgment pointed out that the greater Durango area was for millenia occupied by a variety of Indigenous tribes, who were forcibly removed by the U.S. government.

Spenser Snarr, a librarian at Durango Public Library and member of the city’s DEI cross-functional team, said at a City Council study session last week that a formal land acknowledgment would be a starting point for greater engagement, representation and collaboration between the city and the Indigenous community, including employees with the city.

She said language is a powerful tool and land acknowledgments can be wielded to encourage inclusion by intentionally showing respect and sharing information. Specifically, a land acknowledgment would help the city foster broader awareness of Native history, Native sovereignty and the land Durango was built on.

“It offers recognition and respect to the original stewards of the land,” she said. “It offers support and truth-telling and reconciliation efforts.”

But to be effective – something more than “performative” – the land acknowledgment needs to be crafted in a way that inspires people to take informed actions in support of Indigenous groups and causes, she said.

Councilor Dave Woodruff said any formal land acknowledgment needs to be taken seriously and not as an item on a checklist to be completed once and promptly forgotten about.

“What I really don’t want this to be is a way to pat ourselves on the back and wash our hands of this,” he said. “... (It should be) a springboard into better inclusivity to be more open with all of our community members.”

Mayor Melissa Youssef agreed and said she doesn’t want a land acknowledgment to be a one-and-done activity.

Snarr said DEI work is continuous, and that by forming a thoughtful land acknowledgment, the city can grow relationships with community groups and enhance Durango’s sense of place by celebrating the city’s character and cultural heritage, including the Indigenous communities present today.

The city’s cross-functional DEI team is researching several local, regional and national organizations that have experience crafting land acknowledgments, she said.

Durango School District 9-R, Fort Lewis College, Visit Durango, Great Old Broads for Wilderness and the Wilderness Workshop are local examples. The city of Boulder, Colorado State University and Denver City Council are regional and state examples. And the National Park Service and the U.S. Department of Arts & Culture are national examples of organizations that have adopted official Indigenous land acknowledgments, she said.

The city could take several active and passive approaches to presenting an official land acknowledgment.

Snarr said a reading of the acknowledgment at the start of City Council meetings, which former Mayor Noseworthy opted for, is one option. That could be expanded to other city meetings and open houses. The city could also host the acknowledgment on its website and print it on promotional materials.

Whatever route the city pursues, Snarr said residents should have strong input.

“(The cross-functional DEI team) collectively agree that the community should have a large say on what and when and where makes a land acknowledgment most meaningful,” she said.

The team intends to form working groups to consult with the expertise of Indigenous tribal members and organizations that have experience in creating land acknowledgments, she said.

Youssef said it would be “excellent” to have community input inform how to draft a land acknowledgment. She said she supports featuring an acknowledgment at City Council-sponsored events. And, she is interested in how cities like Boulder and Denver use their land acknowledgments.

Councilor Gilda Yazzie, who has a Navajo and Diné background, also said an official city land acknowledgment is an “excellent” idea. But she advised caution about labeling different ethnicities of tribal entities.

“You be very careful, because there is jealousy and all kinds of things involved with that,” she said.

Councilor Jessika Buell also expressed support for the idea.

Snarr said the cross-functional DEI team has other objectives for 2023, including the incorporation of DEI goals into the city’s annual goal-setting process, educating new employees about the Durango area’s cultural history during its onboarding process, and a comprehensive policy review to make sure that history is truly viewed through the lens of diversity, equity and inclusion.

Snarr and the cross-functional team will seek community feedback and bring recommendations to City Council this fall.

cburney@durangoherald.com