HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-103-10/04/2020-RECOGNIZING THE SECOND MONDAY IN OCTOBER AS "INDIGENOUS PEOPLES' DAY" IN THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS, CRESOLUTION 2022-103
OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS
RECOGNIZING THE SECOND MONDAY IN OCTOBER AS "INDIGENOUS PEOPLES'
DAY" IN THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS, COLORADO, ACKNOWLEDGING AND
SUPPORTING THE NATIVE AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLES LIVING IN FORT COLLINS,
AND AFFIRMING THE CITY'S COMMITMENT TO RECOGNIZE AND INCLUDE THE
VOICES AND INTERESTS OF NATIVE AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLES IN THE
CITY'S COMMITMENT TO WORK TOWARDS EQUITY
WHEREAS, the City Council recognizes that the continents now known as North and
South America have been occupied since time immemorial by many diverse and established Native
and Indigenous Peoples; and
WHEREAS, Fort Collins is situated on the ancestral homelands of many tribes, including
the Arapaho, Cheyenne, and Ute peoples, was an important site of trade, gathering, and healing
for numerous other Tribes and Nations, is now home to a diverse urban Native community with
individuals and families from many different Tribal Nations, and includes important cultural sites,
landscapes and historic structures situated in northern Colorado, including, for example, Fossil
Creek, Spring Creek, the Council Tree, and Soapstone Prairie Natural Area; and
WHEREAS, the City of Fort Collins acknowledges that this City was established as a
military base built upon the homelands of the Native and Indigenous peoples of this region,
resulting in their forced displacement from their lands; and
WHEREAS, Native and Indigenous peoples in Fort Collins, as in all parts of the Americas,
suffer from the legacy of colonization and national policies designed to erase and marginalize their
presence; and
WHEREAS, Fort Collins benefitted, and continues to benefit, directly from Native
American removal policies that violated human rights, broke federal treaties, and forced Native
and Indigenous peoples from their homelands; and
WHEREAS, Fort Collins recognizes the resilience of Native and Indigenous Peoples
despite the harms these systems and policies have caused, and greatly values the social, economic
and cultural contributions they make; and
WHEREAS, Indigenous Peoples' Day was first proposed in 1977 by the United Nations
International Conference on Discrimination against Indigenous Populations in the Americas and
has been adopted by several Colorado municipalities, including the cities of Denver, Boulder,
Colorado Springs, and Durango; and
WHEREAS, Native and Indigenous Peoples encourage the City of Fort Collins and its
residents to be educated to respect and honor traditional practices regarding interdependence of all
humanity and living things and celebrating a vast and rich living tradition through ancestral
recognition and diversity of knowledge and perspectives, including sustainable practices; and
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WHEREAS, Fort Collins promotes closing the equity gap for Native and Indigenous
peoples through policies and practices that respect sovereignty and Indigenous self-determination
aligned with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which
establishes a universal framework of minimum standards for the survival, dignity and well-being
of the Indigenous Peoples of the world and elaborates on the existing human rights standards and
fundamental freedoms as they apply to the specific situation of Indigenous Peoples, in alignment
with the City's Neighborhood Livability and Social Health strategic objective 1.4 to advance
equity for all.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT
COLLINS:
Section l. That in the pursuit of shared responsibility in promoting knowledge about
Native and Indigenous Peoples and combating prejudice and discrimination, the City of Fort
Collins does hereby resolve that the second Monday in October of each year will be recognized as
Indigenous Peoples' Day, and may at that time support events that encourage awareness,
understanding, and appreciation of Native and Indigenous Peoples, their traditions, culture, and
our shared history in these ancestral lands.
Section 2. That the City of Fort Collins recognizes that harm was done and
acknowledges that we have a shared responsibility to support the Native and Indigenous Peoples
residing in the City of Fort Collins and to communicate, collaborate, and coordinate with Tribal
Nations that have historic interests and presence in the area.
Section 3. That the City of Fort Collins will encourage businesses, organizations,
public institutions, and City departments to recognize, cultivate strong relationships with, stand in
solidarity with, and celebrate Native and Indigenous peoples .
Section 4 . That the City of Fort Collins will explore collaboration with Tribal Nations
and the Native and Indigenous community to encourage educational institutions in the City to
develop and implement historically accurate and culturally appropriate curricula related to the
history, traditions and current issues of Native and Indigenous Peoples.
Section 5. That the Office of Equity and Inclusion will work on behalf of the City to
communicate, collaborate, and coordinate with Tribal Nations and the Native and Indigenous
community through ongoing outreach, to include their interests and concerns in planning City
initiatives, to evaluate the impact of City policies and practices on Tribal Nations and the Native
and Indigenous community and to work to ensure equitable access to opportunities in the City of
Fort Collins.
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Passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the Council of the City of Fort Collins this 4th
day of October, A.D. 2022.
layor
AIT~
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City Clerk
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