Honoring Names, Histories, and Community
Theatre Aspen acknowledges that our organization is situated on the ancestral and traditional lands of the Uncompahgre Ute and they remain the past, present, and emerging protectors of the land on which we stand today. We honor the histories of this land and it’s traditional owners before colonization. We recognize the forced removal of the Ute in 1881 under the Ute Removal Act (1880), a forced trek of over 350 miles to Utah reservations, for the land and mining use of colonial settlers. Theatre Aspen recognizes that we must hold ourselves responsible for respecting the ancestral names and histories of this area and its original stewards, and we need to carry that respect forward by better supporting indigenous community members and artists in our organization.
We acknowledge that the venue, funding, equipment and high-speed internet making our programming possible are not available in many indigenous communities. We invite you to join us in acknowledging our shared responsibility to make the best use of this time here together, and to consider our personal roles in reconciliation, decolonization, and allyship.