Indigenous Allies

Indigenous Allies is convening a coalition of churches and people working on issues related to Indigenous Peoples in Colorado to support each other’s work and to create a healing and conciliation plan for church action statewide. Contact Sarah Hartzell, or Marti Dever, if you are interested.

Below is a collection of steps you and/or your parish can take to advance Indigenous Justice and a listing of organizations working on Indigenous Justice issues.

Action Steps

Individual

Connect with Indigenous people and groups in your area, invite them to speak; go where they are, like the Denver March Powwow.
Find out who once occupied the land where you were born.
There are many small steps one person can take. Toward Right Relationship – Friends Peace Teams offers a long list of “doables.”
Learn about becoming an Ally.
Go on Pilgrimage with Everyday Epics.
Adult Children of Manifest Destiny: Reflect on the church’s complicity in Manifest Destiny and the Doctrine of Discovery as it influences our lives and our culture.

Parish/Community

Write a land acknowledgement. Look at this page for important comments on Land Acknowledgements or go directly to the Land Acknowledgement Guide.
Offer a course (Most can be attended online.)
- Roots of Injustice Seeds of Change Friends Peace Teams
- The Land is Not our Own from JustFaith
- Land Justice Futures Learning Platform
Review Episcopal Church Resolutions see below under resources.
Put a line item in your Budget to give to an organization working on Indigenous Issues. Many of the organizations listed below are Indigenous-led.

Who’s working on Indigenous Justice Issues

In Colorado

Indigenous Allies: works in concert with Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery for structural change to address the on-going influence of the Doctrine of Discovery. The current focus is on Apache Stronghold; its Supreme Court Case, and the Save Oak Flat legislation.

People of the Sacred Land: an Indigenous led organization which has thoroughly researched the current day value of lands stolen from Indigenous people in front range Colorado.

Right Relationship Boulder: composed of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. Their volunteer groups work on land issues, school resources, visiting between native and non-native, and Indigenous People’s Day celebration.

Native American Rights Fund: They “fight to protect Native American rights, resources, and lifeways through litigation, legal advocacy, and legal expertise.”

Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs advocates for and provides information on resources, legislation, and initiatives, relating to American Indians in Colorado.

Spirit of the Sun partners with Native American communities across the nation to develop new opportunities for tribes and Native American individuals.

Denver Indian Center exists to empower our American Indian youth, elders, families and community by promoting self-determination and economic, mental and physical health through education, advocacy and cultural enrichment.

Adult Children of Manifest Destiny offers a 12 step program for people recovering from settler colonialism.

Every day Epics highlights urgent needs in the community, and explores the past and present undersides of our collective “American” story.

Sand Creek Massacre Foundation is the non-profit partner of the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site Together they seek to contributing to lifelong learning about the massacre.

Nationwide

Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery calls on the Christian Church to address the extinction, enslavement, and extraction done in the name of Christ on Indigenous lands.

Epsicopal Indigenous Justice Network: works with the Coalition to dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery and provides monthly meetings to connect and share justice work updates across the network.

Indigenous Ministries of the Episcopal Church: works for the full inclusion of Indigenous people in the life and leadership of the church.

National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition: Advocates on behalf of Native peoples impacted by U.S. Indian boarding school policies.

JustFaith: Seeking Repair Alongside Indigenous Communities inspires and equips people of faith to stand alongside Native communities in working for justice and repair.

Land Justice Futures: Together with religious communities and movement partners, we create new land transitions rooted in racial and ecological healing.

Toward Right Relationship asks “What would right relationship among Native and non-Native peoples of North America look like? How can we begin to take steps in that direction in our communities, places of worship, schools, and other institutions? The Toward Right Relationship with Native Peoples (TRR) program promotes education, reflection, dialogue, and action in response to these queries.

Native Hope exists to address the injustice done to Native Americans. especially missing and murdered Indigenous women.

Radical Grace and the Economy is a workbook on how mainstream economics makes fundamental value judgments which violate key spiritual values. It addresses nine areas where the foundations of economics rest on assertions which are not acceptable to people of the spirit. And it discusses how applying deeper values — drawn from the insights of Franciscan and Indigenous economics — can move us toward an economy of spirit.