bottlerag.org is based in Denver, CO. We love Denver, and we love to write and talk about Denver. As much as we can appreciate that city for being where we grew up, it is necessary to recognize that it by no means belongs to us.
This land that we are fortunate enough to call home has been stolen. The land that Denver sits on was stolen from the Arapaho Nation in the name of gold in 1861 when reservations for the Arapaho and Cheyenne Nations were established in upper Arkansas. Three years later, in 1864, the Sand Creek Massacre devastated the Cheyenne and Arapaho people of Eastern Colorado, even though Chief Black Kettle waved a white flag as he saw U.S. forces approaching. It is true that the lives of hundreds of Indigenous people were stoled also, in cold blood, including the lives of women and children—war and violence against the Indigenous People of Colorado continued for twelve more years.
Today, this land is still stolen. The land we call Denver still rightfully belongs to the people of the Arapaho Nation, and the greater land we call Colorado belongs to the Arapaho, Apache, Camanche, Cheyenne, Pueblo, Shoshone, and Ute Nations and Tribes. Despite that truth, Indigenous people make up only about 1% of the population of Denver (roughly 7,000) and approximately 1% of the population of Colorado as a whole (roughly 50,000).
It is clear that our home has been hurt by the hands of colonization, and it is up to us to do what we can to heal the damage that has been done. Here are some things you can do to do your part:
SUPPORT LOCAL INDIGENOUS ARTISTS
ATOM SON OF MAN
@atomsonofman
Atom Son of Man is a three-piece band out of Fort Collins and a friend of bottlerag.org. This band is great if you love grunge, punky, good old-fashioned rock n’ roll music. Their latest single “Think Too Much” is out on all streaming platforms, it’s taken the place of “Love is Lightning” as my most played song by them.
They have a show coming up this Saturday (Nov. 30) at the Atrium in Fort Collins!
SPOTTEDBEAR
@spottedbeartheband
@kspottedbear
SPOTTEDBEAR is another three-piece band out of Fort Collins, but I would describe their sound as more in the vein of indie-emo. Most of their tunes are relatively mellow, though you can certainly catch them screaming here and there, and that is quite satisfying. Overall though, the vibe is very surfy and dreamy. They have songs out on Spotify
CHEROKEE SOCIAL
@cherokee.soical
Cherokee Social is a slightly more renowned indie pop band out of Denver. Their music rides the line of indie-skeez and funk. The sound is reminiscent of the best aspects of Indie Pop of the early 2010s. Their work is available on all streaming platforms.
DEAD PIONEERS
@dead.pioneers
Dead Pioneers is a punk band based out of Fort Collins, CO. Their music is the most overtly political of the bunch and it’s really great if you want something rage-y to get down to. Their first single “Bad Indian” directly references many of the out-dated stereotypes about Indigenous people in the Americas that are still unfortunately prevalent today.
Another way you can contribute is by donating directly to the Indigenous communities near you
TREES WATER PEOPLE
@treeswaterpeople
Trees Water People is an organization based in Fort Collins that partners with communities to preserve resources and land in order to protect the environment and live sustainably.
https://treeswaterpeople.org/about-us
THE DENVER INDIAN CENTER
The Denver Indian Center provides a number of programs and services to support and uplift the Indigenous people across Denver.
https://denverindiancenter.org/
THE SAND CREEK MASSACRE FOUNDATION
The Sand Creek Massacre Foundation is a site that works to highlight the cruelty and horror of the 1864 attack but also works to uplift Indigenous voices in the present day. The foundation advocates for renaming Colorado landmarks back to their original names. They also promote further inclusion of the Sand Creek Massacre and other similar attacks in school curriculums.
https://www.sandcreekmassacrefoundation.org/work
bottlerag.org is making a donation to all the above sites and we encourage you to do so as well, if you are in a position to do so.
Finally, do your own research.
Below all the sources for this post will be listed and we encourage you to do your own reading on Colorado’s history and present with Indigenous people.
The Colorado History Museum is also an excellent resource. Right now the museum has an exhibit going on The Sand Creek Massacre, what led up to it, and the aftermath. The museum also has many permanent exhibits that explore the way our state and city’s cultures have been shaped and impacted by the Indigenous people to whom it belongs.
Sources:
https://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/denver-colorado-tribes
https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/treaty-fort-wise
https://www.sandcreekmassacrefoundation.org/work
https://denverindiancenter.org/
https://www.nps.gov/sand/planyourvisit/maps.htm
One more thing…
bottlerag.org would also like to take this time to share our thanks. We began posting on this site a week and a half ago, the following we have amassed in that time is small but mighty. We are thankful to everyone who has so much as clicked on our home page. We are thankful to our friends who have voiced their support for our project in person. We are thankful to our friends who have voiced interest in writing and creating with us. We are thankful to the artists we know who are willing to let us platform them as we continue to release new content. A very special thanks to Adam from Atom Son of Man. We asked for his input in writing this Land Acknowledgement and he provided invaluable guidance and resources, it was far more than we ever could have asked for, and it was very kind.
This endeavor has gone better than we could have hoped for, so far, and we owe a debt of gratitude to our community.
Stay safe.
-The Editors of bottlerag.org
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