CPD releases American Indian oral history project 'We Are the Land'

CPD releases American Indian oral history project "We Are the Land"

Published on February 03, 2026

DENVER-Continued collaboration with Denver leaders, including American Indian history in schools at all levels, and stewardship of the land informed by Native practices are just some of the recommendations from Tribal communities in "We Are the Land," an oral history project released today by Denver Community Planning and Development's Landmark Preservation team. A community celebration this Saturday, February 7, will mark the release of the project and an accompanying documentary-the culmination of more than three years of collaboration between city staff and the American Indian community in Denver to preserve and honor the history and culture of Denver's current American Indian population as well as Tribal Nations with cultural and historic ties to the land that is now Denver.

We are the Land Celebration
1-4 p.m., Saturday, February 7, 2026
Hydro Building of the CSU Spur Campus
4777 National Western Drive

See complete event details on project website

Centering American Indian voices

"We are the Land: American Indian Life, Legacy and Future in Denver" is part of the Denver in Context series and aims to recognize how the traditional knowledge and oral histories of American Indians are integral to Denver's cultural identity. Long before Denver existed as a city, the confluence of Cherry Creek and the South Platte River was a place of profound cultural, spiritual, and political significance for many Native Nations. "We Are the Land" explores that deep history, along with the vibrant contemporary Denver Native community. The project also produced a documentary film, which will premiere at the community celebration and will be broadcast on Denver's Channel 8 and online in the coming weeks.

At the heart of the project were oral history interviews and two Tribal convenings in Denver, where participants discussed the city as an ancestral homeland, a crossroads, and a sacred place. Conversations also addressed the lasting impact of the Sand Creek Massacre, federal relocation programs, boarding schools, the suppression of Native languages, and the resilience, activism, and cultural renewal that followed. These stories reveal Denver not as a place where Native history ended, but as a hub where Indigenous life has continued, adapted, and flourished.

The oral history document includes a timeline of federal Indian policy, artwork by Native youth and a series of community recommendations to support a contemporary cultural renaissance. The thematic history is organized into eight chapters:

• Chapter 1: Denver: Ancestral Unceded Territory
• Chapter 2: Urban Native Communities and Connections to Tribal Homelands
• Chapter 3: Denver as the Center of Indian Country: Past and Present
• Chapter 4: Honoring the Survivors and Victims of the Sand Creek Massacre
• Chapter 5: Federal and Colorado Indian Policy and Intergenerational Trauma
• Chapter 6: Ongoing Fight for Rights and Respect
• Chapter 7: Indigenous Language Revitalization and Cultural Preservation
• Chapter 8: Indigenous Resilience and Cultural Resurgence

Download and read "We Are the Land"(PDF, 28MB)

See project photos

Preserving sites of cultural significance

The project connects the community's stories directly to Denver's physical landscape-identifying places of cultural significance and advancing preservation tools. City planners worked with the community to develop a National Register of Historic Places nomination for the Denver Indian Center, which was listed on the Register in December 2025. Thus, We Are the Land links memory, place, and policy, with the goal of recognizing and protecting American Indian histories for future generations.

About Denver in Context

The Denver in Context series was launched in 2020 to engage historically excluded communities in preservation conversations by developing historic contexts and sharing tools for protecting heritage and culture. Through the Denver in Context project, Landmark seeks to work with communities to identify, document, and preserve places significant to them. The first historic context in this series, "Nuestras Historias: Mexican American/Chicano/Latino Histories in Denver" was completed in early 2022. "We Are the Land: American Indian Life, Legacy, and Future in Denver" is the second context in the series.

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BUILDING COMMUNITY: Denver Community Planning and Development (CPD) is responsible for visionary city planning and ensuring safe, responsible, sustainable building. We're working hard to make Denver a great place to live, work and play! Visit DenverGov.org/CPD.

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