WAC Clearinghouse Land Acknowledgment

The WAC Clearinghouse was established at Colorado State University in 1997 and has enjoyed significant support from the university's faculty, staff, and students ever since. It has also enjoyed support from the larger Fort Collins, Colorado, community. Following the establishment of the Clearinghouse as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2024, it established its official location in Laramie County just north of the city of Fort Collins. The following land acknowledgment is adapted from acknowledgments crafted by the City of Fort Collins and Colorado State University, each of which collaborated with Native Peoples to develop their land acknowledgments.

We acknowledge and honor the lands on which the WAC Clearinghouse was established and developed as the original homelands of the Hinono’eiteen (Arapaho), Tsétsėhéstȧhese (Cheyenne), Nʉmʉnʉʉ (Comanche), Caiugu (Kiowa), Čariks i Čariks (Pawnee), Sosonih (Shoshone), Oc'eti S'akowin (Lakota) and Núuchiu (Ute) Peoples. This area is an important site of trade, gathering, and healing for these Native Nations. We recognize the Indigenous peoples as original stewards of this land. These lands are home to a diverse urban Native community representing multiple Native Nations and Indigenous Peoples. Despite forced removal and land dispossession, they continue to thrive as resilient members of our community. We are grateful for Native community members and honor the rich cultural heritage they bring to our collective community. We further recognize and value their social, intellectual, economic, and cultural contributions. The WAC Clearinghouse is committed to recognizing and honoring the history, heritage, and continuing contributions of the Native and Indigenous community on these lands.