City to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day,

Boulder will host its annual Indigenous Peoples Day celebration virtually between Friday and Monday, beginning at 10 a.m. each day.

Boulder has been recognizing Indigenous Peoples Day since 2016 as part of a national effort to honor the existence, culture, and contribution of Native American communities. This takes place on a day that is largely recognized as Columbus Day with more than 160 governments across the United States recognizing the Indigenous Peoples Day instead.

The virtual event will also feature and host plenty of dialogue about important issues facing the Indigenous community, as well as exhibiting art, culture, film, food demonstrations and more.

Starting Friday and moving through the weekend, there will be many conversations and discussions about current and historical grievances by the Native American community. The conversations will range from the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Crisis to healing intergenerational trauma to the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 to native communities.

A virtual panel will be led by Professor Carla Fredericks, an enrolled citizen of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation and director of First Peoples Worldwide and director of the American Indian Law Clinic at CU Boulder’s Law School.

Other panelists include Jodi Archambault, former special assistant to President Obama for Native American Affairs for the White House Domestic Policy Council; Elizabeth Carr, senior native affairs advisor

for the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center and member of the Sault Ste. Marie tribe of Chippewa Indians; and Alvin Warren, former cabinet secretary of Indian Affairs for the State of New Mexico.

The panels will be recorded for later viewing.

Zach Mcgee, of Boulder media relations, said, “Traditionally this has been a weekend of celebration dancing, sharing art and music with people that are less familiar. COVID has affected that but the speaker’s panels are incredible. We are bringing together experts from all around the U.S, with an amazing perspective and legacy in their work. Probably would not have happened without COVID. We are really excited about that and our powerful conversation.”

Although the celebration has been moved online, Fredericks said she still has high hopes for what will be discussed within the Boulder community.

“The core objective of panels like this is to demonstrate that we are still here as indigenous people. Indigenous Peoples Day is a reclaiming of another holiday. It is about reclaiming our truth as native people and helping the broader public engage in a truer concept of racial justice, which is very necessary for today’s environment.”

Fredericks also said, “Boulder sits on native land. There is a responsibility for awareness. Boulder is a very socially aware city, but like with everyone and everything, it could always be better.”

A schedule of events, how to register and event links are available at boulder colorado.gov/communityrelations/indigenous -peoples-day.