City Invites Community to Listen to and Learn from American Indian Tribal Nations

Unfortunately, the city canceled “The Peoples’ Crossing: Honoring Relationships with Tribal Nations” event because of snowy conditions. This was a difficult decision to make, and we are so grateful for Tribal Nations' to support an event that we know would have been extraordinary. Learn more about ongoing city engagement and consultation with American Indian Tribal Nations.

While the snow canceled the event, Tribal Nation Representatives and singers and dancers who were in Boulder before the snow came still celebrated their traditions, cultures and histories with songs and dancing. Watch the video.

We extend our deep appreciation to Tribal Representatives for helping us plan "The Peoples' Crossing: Honoring Relationships with Tribal Nations" and plan to discuss the possibility of rescheduling the event with Tribal Representatives. We also want to thank singers and dancers from the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes for helping the city and Tribal Representatives honor and strengthen relationships with Tribal Nations despite the weather.

“The Peoples' Crossing: Honoring Relationships with Tribal Nations" was planned with Tribal Representatives and sought to welcome Tribal Nations who have traversed, lived in and stewarded lands in the Boulder Valley since time immemorial to share their perspectives, histories, cultures and traditions with the Boulder community. The city appreciates Tribal Representatives’ guidance in developing this program to sustain and honor city-Tribal Nation relationships and help build broader community connections to foster respectful and meaningful engagement with Tribal Nations and Indigenous communities.

“The City of Boulder recognizes that those living and working on lands colonized by European-Americans have a responsibility to acknowledge and address the past, and we thank Tribal Nations for their ongoing guidance and collaboration to help us to do that,” said Mayor Aaron Brockett, citing language from the city’s Indigenous Peoples Day Resolution, before the program was, unfortunately, canceled. “We hope community members can join us for this unique program and help our community strengthen, sustain and honor the relationships we’ve been fortunate to build with Tribal Nations.”

"The Peoples' Crossing: Honoring Relationships with Tribal Nations" event was planned to include:

• Flag processions to open and close the public program to honor Native American veterans and Tribal Nations.
• Moderated panels with Tribal Representatives on topics, such as Tribal Sovereignty, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, cultural resource management, meaningful engagement with Tribal Nations and issues Tribal Nations face today.
• Dancers and singers-drummers from the Arapaho and Cheyenne Tribes.
• A reception intended to help community members and organizations meet and learn from Tribal Representatives.

The name for this program honors The Peoples Crossing – a west Boulder area that Tribal Representatives renamed in 2021 and honors Boulder as a crossroads for Indigenous Peoples since time immemorial. The area has become an important symbol for the city in its ongoing collaborative work with Tribal Nations.

“The words, lessons and guidance Tribal Representatives have provided the city over the years have left a deep impression on us, and we invite community members to learn from them as well,” said City Manager Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde before the snow canceled the event. “While we have made progress on several city-Tribal Nation projects, we recognize that we are still learning how to engage Tribal Nations meaningfully and continue to look forward to their guidance in the future.”