Truth, Restoration, & Education Reports
Learn the truth about American Indian History and Treaty Rights in Colorado
We are committed to advancing justice, education, and cultural restoration for American Indians.
We are People of the Sacred Land (PSL), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit of Native leaders, elders, and concerned citizens committed to uncovering the truth about the dispossession of Native lands in Colorado. We seek to understand how and why genocide occurred, identify those responsible for harmful policies, treaties, and laws, and explore solutions to address past injustices. We are dedicated to truth, equity, education, restoration, and reconciliation for the history and future of Colorado’s Native peoples.
Honoring our Ancestors
We acknowledge today that we are living on the land of our Native American ancestors. In recent times the United States government legally recognized the Cheyenne and Arapaho Nations as the owners of the land through the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851. At least 48 other nations occupied this land in the last 500 years. We acknowledge that the Creator gave us this land along with the instructions that we are responsible for caring for the land, the water, the air, and all living beings. As we acknowledge the land, we must also refute the colonized notion of manifest destiny. We will seek ongoing opportunities to engage Native people in land stewardship and restore justice to Native People.
Truth, Restoration & Education Commission
The Truth, Restoration, and Education Commission (TREC) is working to examine the true history of Colorado and what lead to the genocide of Indigenous Peoples in Colorado. Currently, TREC is working on an Economic Loss Assessment and will use this report to develop restoration recommendations and educate the Colorado Community.
OUR WORK
American Indians in Colorado experience economic and social inequalities at higher rates than other populations. People of the Sacred Land is working towards acknowledging historical truths that will inform recommendations for improved access to social mobility and quality of life for American Indians.
Featured in the News
His Cheyenne ancestors were pushed out of Colorado in the 1800s. Now he’s among the leaders of Colorado’s Indigenous Land back movement.
CPR News | October 13, 2025
Paolo Zialcita
Reports details loss and seek restoration for Native Americans in Colorado
By Anna Alejo, CBS News Colorado | November 22, 2021
Colorado’s dirty secret: A $500 billion mining industry built on Indigenous land
By Taylar Dawn Stanger, Indigenous Affairs Fellow | July 8, 2024 | Grist