A cry to “honor and respect Indigenous sovereignty and self-determination” will soon start appearing in Durango publications such as the Parks and Recreation Enrichment Guide, Lake Nighthorse brochure and Durango Public Library catalog.
Durango City Council approved an Indigenous land acknowledgment over a year in the making on Wednesday with efforts led by the city’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Cross-Functional Team.
Research contributing to the land acknowledgment’s drafting includes outreach to area tribes and feedback collected from residents.
Durango DEIB team liaison Kyle Dellamora said Indigenous land acknowledgments broaden public awareness to communities’ histories, and respect and recognize “original stewards of the land.”
In addition to printing the land acknowledgment in city publications – including meeting agendas and the city’s employee handbook – and displaying it online, the DEIB team asked City Council to open city functions with it.
“We’d like this to be read aloud to start council meetings, Engage Durango forums and project-specific public engagement meetings,” Dellamora said.
The land acknowledgment will also be featured in planned cultural displays at Durango-La Plata County Airport and in the city’s social media biography pages.
The final version of the land acknowledgment in full says:
“This is a call to honor and respect Indigenous sovereignty and self determination. As residents and visitors of Durango, we are called upon to educate ourselves about the history and cultural heritage of the land we inhabit. The City of Durango is situated on the ancestral homelands and territories of the Nuuchiu (Ute), Jicarilla Apache (Apache), Pueblos of New Mexico, Hopi Sinom (Hopi), and Diné (Navajo) Nations. The original stewards of this land were forcibly removed and exposed to countless atrocities by the United States government, including repeatedly broken treaties, forced assimilation, the tragic legacy of Indian boarding schools, and the loss of ancestral homelands. We recognize lasting generational trauma exists within native communities today. We affirm the continuing importance of ancestral sites to descendant communities as integral to the living cultural landscape.
“This acknowledgment only becomes meaningful when combined with accountable relationships and informed actions. May this serve as a step towards inclusion and reconciliation.”
Within six to 12 months, the land acknowledgment could begin appearing in public spaces, on trailheads within city limits and in community spaces at city facilities, Dellamora said.
The DEIB team will also make efforts to recognize area tribal holidays, with Dellamora suggested video media releases featuring area tribal leaders and tribal community events.
Councilor Dave Woodruff, who complimented the DEIB team’s work when the draft land acknowledgment was revealed last month, did so again Wednesday.
“To get the stakeholder engagement that you guys have done, I truly appreciate all the work and the outreach that was done to get us to where we’re at,” he said.
cburney@durangoherald.com
