LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

A Land Acknowledgment is a formal statement that recognizes and respects Indigenous Peoples as traditional stewards of this land and the enduring relationship between Indigenous Peoples and their traditional territories. Preceding meetings, the following land acknowledgment is read for participants to honor and respect the land on which we gather:

"Visit Durango recognizes, publicly and intentionally, that we live, work, and organize on stolen and occupied traditional land that is just one piece of a larger, boundless terrain for Indigenous Peoples; Ute Tribe, Jicarilla Apache, Arapaho, Comanche, and the Diné Nations, and others. We acknowledge that 48 contemporary tribal nations are historically tied to the lands that make up the state of Colorado. Visit Durango would like to pay our respects to their elders, past and present, and choose to honor and acknowledge the original stewards of this land in hopes of building mutual respect and understanding across all cultures – those that reside here and those that pass through here today and in the future."