Board recognizes Arapahoe Day and Indigenous People’s Day with proclamation
This week, the Board of County Commissioners issued a proclamation declaring October 9, 2023 as Indigenous People’s Day and October 2, 2023 as Arapahoe Day.
As a County we pay tribute to our namesake, the Arapaho Tribe, who lived on these lands long before we became a County, and recognize and celebrate the unique heritage, cultures, languages, contributions, and resiliency and diversity of First Nations.
We remember the Sand Creek Massacre where U.S. soldiers attacked and killed 230 peaceful Native people, including Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians, in southeastern Colorado territory, and that for centuries, Indigenous Peoples were forcibly removed from ancestral lands, displaced, assimilated, and banned from worshiping or performing many sacred ceremonies.
On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Arapahoe County acknowledges and shows respect to all the cultures and populations that existed long before European contact. We celebrate the invaluable contributions and resilience of Indigenous peoples and recognize their inherent sovereignty. More than five million people in the United States identify as American Indian and Alaska Native, and it continues to be a growing population.
Arapahoe County is committed to continuing to build meaningful relationships, built on mutual trust and respect with the Northern Arapaho Tribe and all indigenous people.
The County will dedicate October 2 to the native people by closing all County offices. We encourage all people to join us in this special observance, and to recognize the important role our original residence has played and continue to play in the success within Arapahoe County.
