Indigenous Peoples Day
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CU 勒貊勛圖 students, staff, faculty and members of the 勒貊勛圖 community are invited to participate in a community celebration and observance of Indigenous Peoples Day through campus programs on October 12 through 14, 2026.泭
This years theme, "Still Here: Refusal, Remembrance, and the Future Beyond 150," critically reflects on 150 years of CU 勒貊勛圖 within the longer arc of Indigenous presence, perseverance, and survival. It centers enduring legacies of Indigenous being and refusal the refusal to disappear, to assimilate, to be misnamed, or erased. It creates space to simultaneously mark institutional history and affirm Indigenous continuance in body, tradition, art, scholarship, and activism.
Moderated Keynote Conversation and Luncheon
Oct. 12, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
UMC Glenn Miller Ballroom
Clint Carroll, faculty director of the Center for Native American and Indigenous Studies and associate professor in the Department of Ethnic Studies, will moderate a keynote conversation with award-winning actor Zahn McClarnon centered on his career, Indigenous storytelling, and issues of importance to Native and Indigenous communities. Lunch and community dialogue will follow, featuring menu items inspired by local Indigenous chefs.
Zahn McClarnon (Hunkpapa Lakota)
ZAHN MCCLARNON (Dark Winds, Fargo, Westworld,
Doctor Sleep) is an award-winning film and television actor, currently starring in and executive producing AMCs DARK WINDS, which recently completed production of its fifth season. He gained widespread acclaim for his role as Hanzee Dent on FXs FARGO, his recurring portrayal of Akecheta on HBOs WESTWORLD, and as Officer Mathias on LONGMIRE (A&E/Netflix).McClarnon was a series regular on National Geographics BARKSKINS, opposite Marcia Gay Harden and David Thewlis, and AMCs THE SON.泭
His film credits include co-starring in the crime thriller THE SILENCING alongside Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and appearing in Mike Flanagans adaptation of Stephen Kings DOCTOR SLEEP. He has also recurred on Disney+s HAWKEYE and FXs award-winning series RESERVATION DOGS.
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Parking泭
Paid parking for the keynote event is available in the Euclid parking garage, just east of the University Memorial Center (UMC) between Broadway and 18th Street. This is a "pay-by-plate" lot, and payment can be made at a pay station or by using the ParkMobile app (Zone 63205).
Check-in Process
Doors will open at 10:15 a.m. For pre-registered guests, please proceed to the check-in line. On-site registration will be limited based on capacity.泭
All guests will have to pass through security screening during event check-in. Only泭 will be permitted in the event venue and metal water bottles are泭not permitted. Complimentary bag check will be available on-site.泭
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Panel Discussions & Film Screening
Wednesday, Oct.14
9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.泭
Lunch is provided
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- Time: 10:00 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
- Location: Center for Global British & Irish Studies (CBIS), Norlin Library, Room M549
- Description:This panel discussion, with three individuals representing South, Central and North America respectively, considers the future of Land Back initiatives and related efforts, with consideration of similar issues and differing challenges across Indigenous communities of the Americas.
- Panelists:
- Dr. Luis C獺rcamo-Huechante (Mapuche), University of Texas at Austin
- Cristina Coc (Qeqchi Mayan), Julian Cho Society
- Rick Williams (Oglala Lakota/Northern Cheyenne), Founder and Executive Director, People of the Sacred Land
- Time: 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
- Location: Center for Global British & Irish Studies (CBIS), Norlin Library Room M549
- Description:The Colorado Buffalo Collective: Bison Back, Land Back--Restoring Buffalo, Land, and Relationship. Connecting session with James Rattling Leaf, Sr. (Rosebud Sioux), Environmental Science Innovation and Inclusion Lab.
- Time: 1:00 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.
- Location: Center for Global British & Irish Studies (CBIS), Norlin Library, Room M549
- Description:This panel discussion will explore Indigenous-led bison restoration initiatives in the Great Plains and Rocky Mountain West, with a focus on the cultural, ecological, and community significance of bringing bison back to their ancestral landscapes. Panelists will discuss the importance of Indigenous stewardship, the challenges and opportunities of bison restoration, and how these efforts are shaping relationships between communities, land, and bison.
- Panelists:
- Helen Augare (Blackfeet Nation), Blackfeet Community College
- Lucille Contreras (Lipan Apache), Texas Tribal Buffalo Project
- Elsie DuBray (O籀henupa Lakx籀ta/Mandan/Hidatsa), Buffalo First
- Dr. Libby Lunstrum, Boise State University
- Time: 3:15 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.泭
- Location: Chancellor's Hall, CASE Building, 4th floor
- Description:By deconstructing colonization's role in the contemporary landscape of Colorados Front Range, Oglala Lakota + Cheyenne elder Richard Williams is correcting a false narrative, illuminating the widely untold history of Colorado and uncovering the causes of the extensive damage endured by Native peoples.
Program Sponsors
These events are sponsored by the Center for Native American and Indigenous Studies and the Office of Leadership Support and Programming. Please contact lspevents@colorado.edu for questions about the event.泭
Additional Resources
勒貊勛圖 Indigenous Peoples Day
Indigenous Peoples Day, a federal holiday in the United States, celebrates the continuing presence and millennia-deep contributions, history, traditions and long-standing concerns of the First Peoples who are indigenous to North, Central and South America and Hawaii. Officially adopted in 2021, the holiday is observed nationally on the second Monday of October.
Honoring History and Building Community泭
These programs provide the opportunity to:
- Honor history and amplify legacy: Uplift the lived histories of Native and Indigenous communities at CU through storytelling, archival recovery and alumni engagement.
- Curate space for critical community dialogue: Explore local and global Indigenous perspectives on pressing issues such as environmental justice, research divestment, language preservation and spiritual resilience.
- Build cultural continuity and collective vision: Engage current students, faculty, staff, and community members in preserving and evolving Indigenous traditions and wellness strategies across generations.
- Foster critical consciousness and institutional accountability: Invite CU 勒貊勛圖 and local and regional constituents into critical reflection on institutional practices past and present and advance strategies that promote Indigenous student success, visibility and cultural affirmation.
Resource Guide
Prepared by CU 勒貊勛圖 University Libraries, supports the goals and outcomes for CU 勒貊勛圖's Indigenous Peoples Day Signature Events by centering resources related to Indigenous knowledge in Hawaii, especially the coral reef, reclamation narratives by Indigenous artists, the notion of Indigenous reciprocity, cultural relevance, multiracial identity, and scholarly literature for North American regions.泭