Denver plans $20M American Indian Cultural Embassy near sacred buffalo herds

Authors: Andrew Kenney

Publisher:

Denverite

Published: 7/31/2025

Language:English

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Aura Windfall

Good morning norristong_x, I'm Aura Windfall, and this is Goose Pod for you. Today is Saturday, August 02th. 19:19. I'm here with my co-host, and we have a truly powerful topic to dive into today.

Mask

I'm Mask. We're here to discuss Denver's ambitious plan to build a $20 million American Indian Cultural Embassy near its sacred buffalo herds. A project that’s either a landmark step toward reconciliation or a massive, unfocused expenditure. The jury is out.

Aura Windfall

Let's get started. Imagine a place of welcome, a cultural hub for tribal nations to return to their historic homelands. That's the vision behind the American Indian Cultural Embassy, a project Mayor Mike Johnston is championing with a significant financial commitment. It feels like a moment of real purpose.

Mask

Significant is an understatement. The mayor didn't just support it; he quadrupled the proposed funding from $5 million to $20 million. That's not just a boost; that's a high-stakes bet. It tells me he either sees a massive upside or he's making a purely political calculation.

Aura Windfall

I see it as a powerful statement of intent. The location itself is deeply symbolic, isn't it? It’s planned for the First Creek at DEN Open Space, which is not only near the airport for accessibility but also close to the Rocky Mountain Arsenal’s buffalo herds.

Mask

The location is strategically brilliant, I'll give them that. Proximity to the airport makes it a functional port of entry for tribal leaders. The buffalo herds add a layer of what you'd call 'spiritual significance,' but from a branding perspective, it’s a powerful, visceral image that sells the project. It’s smart.

Aura Windfall

It's more than branding, Mask. For the tribes, those buffalo are sacred. As Edward Iron Cloud III of the Oglala Sioux Tribe said, this is a "spiritual landscape," a place of "renewal, trade, and reconnection." This embassy is about creating a formal space for that to happen again.

Mask

A formal space for government-to-government relations, cultural programming, and services. The project description is broad. It aims to be a lot of things. The risk with any project that tries to be everything is that it ends up being nothing particularly well. Vision needs execution.

Aura Windfall

But what a vision it is! Dustin Baird, an Oglala Lakota resident, spoke of Denver as a "crossroads of Indian country." This embassy isn't just a building; it's an anchor for that identity, a physical manifestation of sovereignty and belonging for urban Native residents. It’s about restoring a truth that was lost.

Mask

And it could become the new home for the Denver March Powwow, one of the largest in the country. That's a tangible economic and cultural driver right there. If they pull that off, the embassy immediately gains a powerful, recurring event that gives it relevance and draws thousands of people.

Aura Windfall

Exactly! It’s about creating a living, breathing center. The Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes, in their letter of support, called their ancestral homelands in Colorado "still our home." This project is a tangible way for the city to finally say, "We agree. Welcome back." It’s a profound gesture.

Mask

It's a $20 million gesture. Let's not forget that. It beat out other city projects, things like bike lanes and zoo funding. While the historical and cultural narrative is compelling, the city government made a hard choice to prioritize this over other citizen demands. That's a detail we can't ignore.

Aura Windfall

And we shouldn't ignore it. It shows that sometimes, we have to prioritize healing and historical justice over simple infrastructure. What I know for sure is that this decision speaks volumes about the city's evolving values. It’s a step toward a different kind of future.

Aura Windfall

To truly understand why this embassy is so significant, we have to look back. This isn’t just about putting up a new building; it’s about responding to a deep and painful history. It’s an attempt to start a new chapter in a story that, for tribes, has been relentlessly bleak.

Mask

You're talking about the 150-year history of Colorado. As Rick Williams of the People of the Sacred Land said, for the tribes, there's "nothing to celebrate." The history is a brutal catalogue of assimilation, relocation, termination, and extermination. It’s a history of total system failure.

Aura Windfall

It’s staggering to confront. When the Colorado territory was established in the 1860s, it wasn't a peaceful settlement. The strategy was to starve the tribes by destroying their primary resource: the buffalo. It was a calculated campaign to erase them from their own lands, a foundation of violence.

Mask

It was state-sanctioned violence. In 1864, Governor John Evans issued a decree. It gave citizens the right to "kill and destroy" any Indigenous people not confined to specific camps. This wasn't a suggestion; it was a government directive, creating the legal framework for a massacre.

Aura Windfall

And that led directly to one of the most horrific events in American history: the Sand Creek Massacre on November 29, 1864. U.S. troops attacked a peaceful village of Cheyenne and Arapaho people. They murdered hundreds of women, children, and elders who had been promised safety.

Mask

Colonel Chivington led 700 troops against a village of 500. It was an unprovoked attack on people who had registered their peaceful intentions. They were deceived. The troops didn't just kill; they mutilated the bodies. It was an act of terror designed to break their spirit entirely.

Aura Windfall

The trauma of that event has echoed for generations. It shattered the trust between tribes and the government and led to decades of further conflict and forced relocation onto reservations. When Governor Wassana of the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes calls this new embassy a "first step to healing," he’s talking about healing *this* wound.

Mask

So this embassy is positioned as a direct response to that history. But Denver has been making other, smaller moves recently, right? This isn't happening in a vacuum. The city has been testing the waters of reconciliation, building a track record of small wins before this massive capital investment.

Aura Windfall

That's a great point. For years now, the city has been building a foundation of trust. They started offering land acknowledgements before public meetings, recognizing the Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Ute peoples. It’s a simple act of speaking the truth, of making the invisible visible again.

Mask

And then came the buffalo. Instead of auctioning off surplus bison from their parks, Denver Parks and Recreation started donating them directly to Tribal Nations. Since 2018, they've given away 85 bison to tribes like the Northern Arapaho, Eastern Shoshone, and Yuchi. That’s a tangible, strategic asset transfer.

Aura Windfall

It's so much more than an asset. Johanna HolyElkFace, a member of the Sioux Nation, said the buffalo are sacred; they represent protection and health. By returning the buffalo, Denver is returning a piece of the land's spirit. Scott Gilmore from Parks and Rec said it best: "Trust is not given, it’s earned."

Mask

Exactly. They earned trust through consistent, smaller actions. The land acknowledgements were symbolic. The bison donations were substantive. Now, the embassy is the culmination of that strategy—a $20 million exclamation point. It’s a logical, albeit massive, next step in a multi-year plan.

Aura Windfall

What I know for sure is that this context is everything. Without understanding the horror of Sand Creek and the gentle healing of the buffalo donations, the embassy might just look like a building. But with this history, it becomes a powerful symbol of a city trying to finally make amends.

Aura Windfall

But even with such a powerful purpose, a $20 million project is bound to create tension. This isn't a simple, universally celebrated decision. There are competing needs in any major city, and choices have to be made. This project was chosen over other things Denver residents wanted.

Mask

And that's the core of the conflict. This isn't about whether reconciliation is good; it's about resource allocation. The Vibrant Denver bond proposal had a list of needs: bike lanes, funding for the Denver Zoo, elections facilities. The embassy jumped the line and quadrupled its funding. That creates conflict.

Aura Windfall

From a perspective of pure pragmatism, I can see the argument. Someone sitting in traffic might wonder why their commute isn't being improved, or a family might wonder why the zoo isn't getting a needed upgrade. It's a classic conflict between tangible, everyday benefits and long-term, societal healing.

Mask

Exactly. I would argue, is a cultural embassy the most effective tool to achieve the stated goals? Is this $20 million building the best way to support urban Native residents and foster government relations? Or could that money be used more directly for grants, housing, and economic programs? It’s a legitimate question.

Aura Windfall

But that viewpoint misses the power of place and symbolism. Programs are vital, but they don't create a central heart. They don't provide a physical home. Rick Williams said this is an "opportunity to start over." How do you put a price on that? On creating a different future?

Mask

You don't. But you do have to justify the expenditure to voters who will be paying for it in November. The conflict is also about perspective on history. For many, the 150th statehood anniversary is a celebration. For tribes, as Williams noted, it represents a "horrible history." The embassy forces that uncomfortable truth into the mainstream.

Aura Windfall

And that's a necessary conflict! A society that can't confront its own history is doomed to repeat it. This project brings the two opposing views of Colorado's history into direct conversation. It says, 'We can't celebrate our founding without acknowledging the cost of that founding for its original inhabitants.'

Mask

There's also the risk of failure. Look at other ambitious, identity-focused community projects. I recall reading about a group called Black Hammer that tried to build a 'Hammer City' in Colorado. It was a complete fiasco that ended with trespassing notices. Intentions don't guarantee outcomes.

Aura Windfall

That's not a fair comparison, though. That was a fringe group with no property and no official backing. This is a city-led initiative with the full support of the mayor and dozens of tribal nations. The conflict isn’t about whether it’s a viable project, but about its priority.

Mask

The priority and the precedent. If Denver spends $20 million on this, what's next? What other historical injustices require this level of capital investment? The opposition wouldn't frame it as being against Indigenous people, but as being for fiscal responsibility and equitable distribution of public funds across the entire population.

Aura Windfall

And my response would be that this isn't just another project. As Scott Gilmore said, "If we’re going to walk and talk equity, we have to start with American Indians." This is about addressing the foundational inequity upon which the entire state was built. It has to come first.

Aura Windfall

So if this project goes forward, what is the true impact we can expect? For the tribal nations, the message from their leaders is clear. It's about healing and reconnection. Governor Wassana described it as a potential "first step to healing our communities." That’s an immeasurable but profound impact.

Mask

But can we measure it? The city is investing public money, so there has to be some expected return. When Denver voters approved the FasTracks transit system, the campaign gave them specifics: economic growth, job creation, traffic mitigation. What are the specific, measurable impacts of the embassy?

Aura Windfall

The impact isn't just economic; it's cultural and diplomatic. The embassy will establish, for the first time, a formal space for "government to government relations with the city of Denver." This elevates the partnership from symbolic gestures to a structured, sovereign relationship. That's a massive political impact.

Mask

That's a solid point. Formalizing that relationship could streamline everything from economic partnerships to resource management. But the broader economic impact on Denver itself remains fuzzy. Proponents of big projects usually come armed with studies and projections. I haven't seen those here. It's a vote based on narrative, not numbers.

Aura Windfall

Because the most powerful impacts are in that narrative. Imagine a young Oglala Lakota person from Denver, like Dustin Baird. For their entire life, they've lived in a city built on their ancestral land with no formal place of recognition. The impact on their sense of identity and belonging is transformative.

Mask

Identity is powerful, but it doesn't pay the bills. The real test of impact will be whether this embassy becomes a hub of activity or a quiet museum. If it hosts the Powwow, if it attracts tribal businesses, if it generates tourism—then it will have a tangible economic impact. If not, it's a hollow victory.

Aura Windfall

I believe the gratitude and support from the tribes shows it will be used. Leaders from the Kiowa, Oglala Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho have all expressed their full support. They are ready to locate offices there, to do business there. The demand seems to be preceding the supply.

Mask

And Mayor Johnston is tying his political brand to this. He called it a "first, and long over-due resource." The impact on his administration will be significant. If it succeeds, he's a visionary leader. If it falters, he's the mayor who spent $20 million on a beautiful, empty building.

Aura Windfall

Looking toward the future, this project has the potential to redefine Denver's identity. It could become a national model for how cities can engage in meaningful reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, moving beyond land acknowledgements to create something permanent and sovereign. That's a powerful legacy.

Mask

It could. Or it could be a cautionary tale. The long-term success depends entirely on execution. The future requires a clear governance model. Who runs the embassy? A board of tribal leaders? A city department? The future implications hinge on getting that structure right to avoid political infighting.

Aura Windfall

I see it as a beacon of possibility. The future could see the Denver March Powwow having a permanent, magnificent home, ensuring its stability for generations. It could be a place where Indigenous culture isn't just remembered, but actively created and shared with the world.

Mask

The best-case future is that it becomes a true embassy: a center for diplomacy, commerce, and culture. It could change the dynamic of urban planning, forcing other cities to consider Native sovereignty not as a historical footnote, but as a living, political reality they must engage with. That would be disruptive, and I mean that as a compliment.

Aura Windfall

That's the end of today's discussion. From a painful history comes a hopeful, if complex, future. This project is a test of Denver's commitment to equity. Thank you for listening to Goose Pod.

Mask

We'll see if the $20 million bet pays off. The vision is there; the execution is everything. See you tomorrow.

## Denver Plans $20 Million American Indian Cultural Embassy Near Sacred Buffalo Herds **Report Provider:** Denverite **Author:** Andrew Kenney **Publication Date:** July 31, 2025 (Updated 11:09 a.m. MDT) This news report details Denver's plan to construct a significant cultural center, the **American Indian Cultural Embassy**, near Denver International Airport (DIA). This initiative aims to welcome members of tribal nations back to their historic homelands on the Great Plains and Front Range and serve as a gesture of amends for historical injustices. ### Key Findings and Conclusions: * **Project Goal:** The American Indian Cultural Embassy is envisioned as a gathering space and cultural hub for tribes with historical ties to the Denver area. It will facilitate business, partnerships with the city, and government-to-government relations. * **Location:** The proposed site is in far northeastern Denver, on land owned by the airport, specifically at First Creek at DEN Open Space, near Pena Boulevard and East 56th Avenue. This location is significant due to its proximity to DIA and the Rocky Mountain Arsenal's buffalo herds, which hold deep cultural importance for local tribes. * **Funding:** Mayor Mike Johnston has proposed allocating **$20 million** in bond money for the project. This represents a substantial increase from an initial proposal of $5 million. * **Tribal Support:** The project has garnered strong support from tribal leaders, including the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes, who view it as a potential "first step to healing our communities." Leaders from the Kiowa and Oglala Sioux tribes have also expressed their support, emphasizing the spiritual significance and potential for renewal, trade, and reconnection the embassy offers. * **Historical Context:** The initiative is framed as a continuation of Denver's efforts to acknowledge and make amends for the historical mistreatment of Indigenous peoples, including assimilation, relocation, and violence such as the Sand Creek Massacre (November 29, 1864). ### Key Statistics and Metrics: * **Proposed Funding:** **$20 million** from the Vibrant Denver bond proposal. * **Original Funding Proposal:** **$5 million**. * **Bond Vote:** Voters are expected to decide on this and other bond projects, totaling nearly **$1 billion**, in the **November election**. ### Important Recommendations: * The establishment of the embassy is seen by tribal leaders as a crucial step towards **reconciliation and a different future** for Indigenous peoples alienated from their homelands. ### Significant Trends or Changes: * This project represents Denver's **largest and latest effort** to invite Indigenous people back to their historic homelands. * It signifies a shift in city policy, mirroring recent actions like donating buffalo to tribes instead of auctioning them and implementing land acknowledgments before public meetings. ### Notable Risks or Concerns: * The project's realization is contingent on voter approval of the **Vibrant Denver bond proposal** in the upcoming November election. * Many details of the facility are still undetermined. ### Material Financial Data: * The **$20 million** allocation for the American Indian Cultural Embassy is a significant investment within a larger bond package that voters will consider. ### Critical Statements: * **Gilmore:** "The embassy would serve as a place for people to come, do business. All of the tribes that are across the nation that have ties to Denver, they will now have a place to come and do business, to partner with the city.” * **Dustin Baird (Oglala Lakota):** “Denver should be recognized as a crossroads of Indian country, not just because of the geographic centrality, but because of the deep and layered histories of many tribal nations who have passed through camp, traded and made lives here for generations.” * **Gov. Reggie Wassana (Cheyenne and Arapaho):** “The proposed embassy area is in the traditional homelands of the Cheyenne and Arapaho people. Since our people were relocated to Oklahoma, we have always known that present-day Colorado is still our home.” * **Edward Iron Cloud III (Oglala Sioux Tribe):** “For us, this is not only a spiritual landscape, but also a place of renewal, trade, and reconnection.” * **Rick Williams (Oglala Lakota and Cheyenne):** “You know, you think about 150 years, the 150 celebration. Well, for the tribes, there's nothing to celebrate. It's been a horrible history: assimilation, relocation, termination, extermination, it's all been bad. And here we have an opportunity to start over, and in the next 50 years, we'll have a different future for those people who were alienated from their homeland." * **Mayor Mike Johnston:** Called it “a first, and long over-due resource, for Denver.” The news highlights a significant cultural and historical undertaking by the city of Denver, aiming to foster reconciliation and provide a dedicated space for Indigenous communities.

Read original at Denverite →

Updated at 11:09 a.m. on Thursday, July 31, 2025The city of Denver could build a cultural center near Denver International Airport, part of an effort to welcome members of tribal nations to return to their historic homelands on the Great Plains and Front Range.Mayor Mike Johnston has proposed using $20 million in proposed bond money to build the project, called the American Indian Cultural Embassy.

Many of the details are undetermined, but the facility could serve as a gathering space and cultural hub for tribes with ties to the Denver area.“The embassy would serve as a place for people to come, do business,” Gilmore said in an interview. “All of the tribes that are across the nation that have ties to Denver, they will now have a place to come and do business, to partner with the city.

”The project would stand in far northeastern Denver on land owned by the airport. Gilmore would like to see it located at First Creek at DEN Open Space, near Pena Boulevard and East 56th Avenue.Denver's First Creek at DEN Open Space. Aug. 1, 2019.Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite“Denver should be recognized as a crossroads of Indian country, not just because of the geographic centrality, but because of the deep and layered histories of many tribal nations who have passed through camp, traded and made lives here for generations,” said Dustin Baird, a Denver resident who is Oglala Lakota, at Monday's meeting of the Denver City Council.

“The tribal embassy will establish a formal space for tribal nations to engage in government, to government relations with the city of Denver, support urban Native residents with community cultural programming and access to services in space grounded in sovereignty,” he said.The location was chosen both for its proximity to the airport and to Rocky Mountain Arsenal’s buffalo herds, which hold deep significance for tribes with connections to Denver.

A big bond boostJohnston gave the project a huge boost Monday when he quadrupled the funding it could receive from the Vibrant Denver bond proposal. It had been slated for only $5 million, but Johnston boosted it to $20 million. Voters will likely decide whether to authorize that spending, and nearly $1 billion in other bond projects, in November.

It was one of the last big spending items to be added to the infrastructure plan — beating out proposals for bike lanes, the Denver Zoo and elections facilities. “I sincerely appreciate that he is the type of leader that listens to the people, and the ‘New West’ that he’s talking about can only proceed in hand with American Indians,” Gilmore said.

“I’m excited about where this could go.”Support from tribal leadersThe new embassy could serve as a new home for the Denver March Powwow, one of the largest powwows in the country, Gilmore suggested, and tribal leaders said they could locate offices in the building.In a letter, the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes expressed full support for the project.

“The proposed embassy area is in the traditional homelands of the Cheyenne and Arapaho people,” wrote Gov. Reggie Wassana. “Since our people were relocated to Oklahoma, we have always known that present-day Colorado is still our home.”Dancers file into the Denver Coliseum for the Denver March Powwow's grand entry celebration.

March 18, 2022.Kevin J. Beaty/DenveriteWassan described the project as a potential “first step to healing our communities.” Dozens of other tribal leaders and members also wrote to city officials in support of the project, including leaders of the Kiowa and Oglala Sioux.“For us, this is not only a spiritual landscape, but also a place of renewal, trade, and reconnection,” wrote Edward Iron Cloud III, sergeant-at-arms for the Oglala Sioux Tribe.

Rick Williams, who is Oglala Lakota and Cheyenne and the president of People of the Sacred Land, said it was time for this type of project — especially because of, and in spite of, Colorado's upcoming statehood anniversary."You know, you think about 150 years, the 150 celebration," Williams said. "Well, for the tribes, there's nothing to celebrate.

It's been a horrible history: assimilation, relocation, termination, extermination, it's all been bad. And here we have an opportunity to start over, and in the next 50 years, we'll have a different future for those people who were alienated from their homeland."In a statement, Johnston called it “a first, and long over-due resource, for Denver.

”The latest in many efforts to make amendsThe project is the largest and latest effort by the city to invite Indigenous people back to their historic homelands. In recent years, the city has started to donate buffalo to tribes instead of auctioning them, and to offer land acknowledgements of the Cheyenne, Arapaho and Ute people before public meetings.

The aim is to make some degree of amends for white settlers’ killings and dispossession of Indigenous people in the lands that are now Colorado.Denver donates bison to indigenous tribes at the city's Genessee Mountain Park. March 15, 2023.Kevin J. Beaty/DenveriteAs Colorado’s territorial government was established in the 1860s, settlers starved buffalo and other game to starve the tribes.

In 1864, Gov. John Evans decreed that "friendly Indians" must congregate at certain camps, or risk being attacked, and gave citizens the right to "kill and destroy" Indigenous people who threatened the state. On Nov. 29, 1864, U.S. troops murdered hundreds of women, children and elders at the Sand Creek Massacre.

In the years to come, tribes were pushed into confinement and reservations.“If we’re going to walk and talk equity, we have to start with American Indians,” Gilmore said. The bond package, which also includes funding for transportation, parks, arts and more, is expected to go to a vote in the Nov. 4 election.

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