The Durango School District 9-R Board of Education on Tuesday reviewed a draft of a resolution to reaffirm its commitment to racial justice, equity and inclusion.

The document establishes an advisory committee of community members who will be charged with reviewing inequities of racial justice, diversity and inclusion and making recommendations to the school board to address the problems.

The district would also be obligated to use an outside organization specializing in equity, diversity and inclusion issues to conduct a districtwide assessment of changes needed to be made to root out discrimination and bias.

School board meetings would begin with a land acknowledgment, recognizing the district encompasses traditional lands of several Native American tribes.

The land acknowledgment says: “The Durango 9-R School District acknowledges, with respect, that the land we are on today is the traditional and ancestral lands and territories of the Nuchu (Ute), Apache, the Pueblos, Hopi, Suni and the Diné nations. This region was also a site of trade, gathering and healing for numerous other Native tribes. We recognize the Indigenous peoples as original stewards of this land and all the relatives within it. As these words of acknowledgment are read, spoken and heard, the ties Nations have to their traditional homelands are renewed and reaffirmed.”

The resolution also apologizes for the district often failing to serve all students equally.

The resolution will undergo a legal vetting, and it is scheduled for a vote for adoption Dec. 15, during the next school board meeting.

parmijo@durangoherald.com