Colorado communities, leaders celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day

Communities across Colorado -- including Denver and Pueblo -- celebrated Indigenous Peoples Day on Monday, honoring Native culture and traditions.

In Boulder, residents gathered for music, dance, and ceremony at Mi Chantli, a community organization and dance studio that focuses on Indigenous and cultural education.

"We're honoring Indigenous Peoples Day, celebrating with our dances and our art and all our songs that we can share," said Mario Jose Olvera, co-owner of Mi Chantli, a community organization and dance studio, in Boulder. "We have Rocky Mountain Indigenous Dancers sharing their style of dance and their traditional dance. We also have Grupo Tlahuizcalli, it's an Aztec group here from Boulder and Longmont."

Olvera said the annual celebration is about more than performance; it's about reconnecting.

"Indigenous Peoples Day is important because it allows us to reconnect with nature," he said. "It's important for us to connect back to nature and Mother Earth that way, and it's a good thing to honor and celebrate all of our Indigenous tribes that hold these sacred circles."

President Trump, in April, reversed a move by former President Joe Biden recognizing Indigenous Peoples Day alongside Columbus Day. At the time, Trump accused Democrats of denigrating Christopher Columbus's legacy, saying in a Truth Social post that Democrats "did everything possible to destroy Christopher Columbus, his reputation, and all of the Italians that love him so much."

The second Monday in October was still known as Columbus Day during Biden's presidency, but also as Indigenous Peoples Day. It remained a federal holiday and Biden didn't make any changes as to how or when Columbus Day is recognized in his proclamation.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis also issued a statement, recognizing Monday as Indigenous Peoples Day in Colorado.

"Today and every day, we honor the history and ongoing contributions of Tribal and American Indian/Alaska Native communities in Colorado," he wrote. "From rescinding the 1864 proclamations that led to the Sand Creek Massacre, to extending Indian boarding school research, to recognizing Ute Day and the proud heritage of Indigenous communities - these actions are part of our work to build a Colorado for All."

While observed in several communities across Colorado, it's not an official state holiday. Colorado officially observes Mother Cabrini Day, which recognizes the Italian missionary Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini. She founded numerous orphanages and schools around the world before coming to Colorado, and then ministered to less fortunate Italian immigrants in Denver. She established a school, a convent, an orphanage, as well as a summer camp for orphaned girls in Golden.

The cities of Denver and Boulder began observing Indigenous Peoples Day in 2016, and Aspen did the same the following year.

On Monday, the City of Denver held a celebration in honor of the holiday at City Park.

Colorado is the ancestral home to several tribes, including the Apache, Arapaho, Cheyenne, Comanche, Hopi, Navajo, Utes, and Zuni.

Back in Boulder, Olvera said days like this help strengthen cultural ties: "It's so important that they pass it down to their young ones, to the next generation, so that these traditions and these customs and this culture can survive."