
Dear Commander Community, On Monday many of us will observe Indigenous Peoples Day to honor, learn more about, and begin to take action for the rights of Indigenous Peoples. Please read this land acknowledgement as a first step in our process towards recognizing and taking action for our Native American students and their families: The land that Denver sits on originally belonged to the Arapaho tribe, as laid out in the 1851 Treaty of Fort Laramie. When gold was discovered in the late 185os, white settlers arrived in the area in large numbers and began asserting their right to the land, leading to the Treaty of Fort Wise in 1861 and cessation of the land by some tribal leaders. In 1864, the Sand Creek Massacre resulted in the deaths of hundreds to Arapaho and Cheyenne people, and soon after these nations would be relocated out of Colorado. Other nations native to Colorado include the Apache, Comanche, Shoshone, and Ute. The latter includes the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, federally recognized tribes that have their current headquarters in Ignacio, Colorado and Towaoc, Colorado, respectively. These groups have historically lived in the southern and western portions of the state. In Denver Public Schools, we have over 1,000 Native students representing over 70 tribes. By acknowledging that we are on Native land, please recognize the students you are all called upon to support. Please read the attached return to in person learning plan shown here. Click on this LINK to see an In Person and Virtual student schedule that we will follow beginning on 10/21. Additionally, JFK Administration holds Wednesday Town Halls for students and families to ask questions and give feedback, meet us here from 5 - 6 pm on Wednesdays. We are SO MUCH stronger together and need your input and want to answer any questions you may have about our return to in person plan. Students will receive detailed information regarding what a day in the life of an in person student will look like during Warm Welcomes every day next week. |
With love and gratitude, |
Tiffany Almon |
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