With respect to the land and those who have come before us, I acknowledge that I work on the lands of the Ute, Arapahoe, Očhéthi Šakówiŋ, and Cheyenne People in Boulder County, Colorado. 

To note: In most cases, we reside on unceded land, meaning that it was never given, sold, or agreed upon to be shared—the land is unsurrendered. What’s the significance of acknowledging “unceded territory”? Here’s a powerful answer from Verna McGregor, a Canadian Algonquin elder:

“It’s acknowledging that we’re still here, the acknowledgment is important—that we’re worthy of being on our own lands… there is a greater issue than what is going on today. It helps remind people that we are going back centuries in terms of what we’ve done to the Indigenous people—from the reserve system, the residential schools, to today with Indigenous children still being removed from their families at a greater rate than the rest of the population… The acknowledgment puts what’s happening today into a greater perspective to understand historical wrongs and how that’s manifested today. Part of reconciliation is truth and honesty.”

If you would like to find out which territory you are living or working on, go to Native Land.