Land and Labor Acknowledgement

We respectfully acknowledge the ancestral land upon which the Convention Center sits in the original Indian Country, home to many tribal nations, including the Cheyenne, Arapaho, Ute, Comanche, Shoshone, and Kiowa, which has come to be known as modern-day Denver, Colorado. We also recognize the 48 contemporary tribal nations historically tied to this land. Known as the Crossroads of Indian Country, this area was a site of trade, travel, hunting, and spiritual healing. Today, over 100,000 American Indian and Alaska Natives live along with the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute tribes in Colorado.

One of the biggest challenges for the American Indian community, especially in urban areas, is overcoming invisibility. Recognizing the relationship between American Indian culture and the land is a step towards visibility and understanding. We pay respect to their elders, past and present, and APA commits to addressing ongoing harms through dialogue, ongoing education, spreading awareness, and promoting respect to the stewards of this land. 

We also acknowledge the unpaid labor and forced servitude of enslaved Africans, whose exploitation was pivotal to the nation's economic growth. We recognize the broken promises and harm done to the American Indians, the horrors of slavery, and the persistent legacies of inequity. With this statement, we encourage each Convention attendee to pledge support and offer reparations towards American Indian communities, be it via educating oneself and others or by sharing time, effort, and/or resources.