American Indian Culture Past and Present
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American Indian Culture Past and Present
My sister, Melissa, shared her Ancestry DNA report with me a few years ago. It indicated that Native American heritage makes up 38% of our family DNA. It is listed as Native American (Northern and Central New Mexico). This is the second-highest ethnicity grouping in our genetic profile following 53% for the combined Iberian Peninsula countries of Spain, Portugal, and Basque.
Our family does not possess documentation of tribal enrollment or proof of tribal affiliation. We only have the stories that our grandparents shared with us on both sides of the family. So, the Ancestry DNA report is a validation of our multigenerational “mestizo” heritage being from the Southwest. It also helps me better understand the respect, wonder, and affinity I hold for my American Indian friends and their families.
During our internal company Speaker Series last year, Rick Waters, Kiowa and Cherokee, and recent executive director from the Denver Indian Center stated, “American Indians are largely invisible in today’s society, yet they are present everywhere.” Indeed, the Native American population today is everywhere. Like everyone else, American Indians reside in urban, suburban, rural, and reservation communities. They are not people who lived only in the past.
In my work as an equity leader in public health and in higher education, I’ve been fortunate to build relationships with American Indian colleagues, members, and students both in Colorado and in various other parts of the country. The vast diversity that makes up the Native American community is extraordinary. A positive development is the growing trend, in different regions of the country, to artfully commemorate the Indigenous history and culture, unique to their location, in public spaces.
Fortunately, public sentiment is shifting to a place where there’s more support for everyone to embrace their Indigenous heritage, both for those whose primary identity is American Indian and for others to claim their multiethnic heritage which includes American Indian in addition to other racial and ethnic origins.
At Colorado Access, our Land and People Acknowledgement states “we are committed to improving health outcomes and expanding access to care for all Native American communities” which necessitates that “we seek to understand the history of genocide and the ongoing systemic inequities that impact Native Americans.” In taking these steps, we are better able to “honor Native American presence, resilience, and culture” today.
It is in this spirit that I share this post and offer the following additional facts and suggestions to learn about and celebrate the rich history and contributions of American Indians in both the past and the present.
Interesting Facts
Today, there are 574 federally recognized tribes in the United Sates. In addition, approximately 400 additional tribes are not federally recognized.
According to the United States Census Bureau 2.9% of the U.S. population and 3.6% of the Colorado population is American Indian and Alaskan Native Alone or in Combination with one or more other major race groups.
In 1990, 35 years ago, President George H. W. Bush signed a Congressional joint-resolution into law, officially designating November as National American Indian Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the rich history and contributions of Native Americans.
Easy and fun opportunities to enjoy, celebrate, learn about, and honor Native American Heritage Month
Dine at Tocabe: An American Indian Eatery in North Denver where you can enjoy an Indian Taco for lunch or dinner
Get up to speed on a key project that’s included in the Vibrant Denver Bond on the November ballot, American Indian Cultural Embassy – Denverite Article, July 31, 2025
Take time to research and learn about American Indian history in Colorado by visiting History Colorado – Native American History & Heritage (and Events), including exhibits:
- The Sand Creek Massacre: The Betrayal that Changed Cheyenne and Arapaho People Forever
- Written on the Land: Ute Voices, Ute History
Adventure to The Cliffs of Mesa Verde, The Manitou Cliff Dwellings, Southern Ute Cultural Center and Museum (in Ignacio), Ute Indian Museum (in Montrose), and the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site and Foundation
Finally, for those who enjoy reading, some book titles to consider:
- Chief Left Hand: Southern Arapaho, by Boulder author Margaret Coel
- A Misplaced Massacre: Struggling Over the Memory of Sand Creek, by Ari Kelman
- The Comanche (Indians of North America), by Willard H. Rollins
- Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West by Dee Brown
- Black Elk Speaks: Being the Life Story of a Holy Man of the Ogalala Sioux, by John G. Neihardt and Black Elk
