| Summary |
In 2022, the general assembly enacted House Bill 22-1327, which
created the federal Indian boarding school research program (program)
in the state historical society, commonly known as history Colorado.
House Bill 22-1327 required the program to conduct research regarding
the physical abuse and deaths that occurred at federal Indian boarding
schools in Colorado and required history Colorado, in consultation with
the Colorado commission of Indian affairs, the Southern Ute Indian
Tribe, and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe to develop recommendations to
better understand the abuse that occurred and to support healing in tribal
communities. Pursuant to the provisions of House Bill 22-1327, the
program was repealed on December 31, 2023.
The bill recreates and reenacts the program and appropriates $1
million from the general fund divided in equal annual payments for fiscal
years 2024-25, 2025-26, and 2026-27 to implement the recommendations
developed. The recommendations include:
•
The continuation of the program until December 31, 2027;
•
Authority for history Colorado, in partnership with the
Colorado commission of Indian affairs, to conduct ongoing
research and tribal consultations with different tribes and
engage in listening sessions with American Indian and
Alaska native communities on the history and impact of
federal Indian boarding schools in Colorado;
•
The collection of oral histories of survivors that highlight
indigenous narratives;
•
Quarterly updates from history Colorado to the Colorado
commission of Indian affairs;
•
Developing further recommendations to the general
assembly to address the impact of federal, state, and local
schooling systems on native communities;
•
Developing further recommendations to the Colorado
department of education and Colorado department of
higher education to support education for native
communities;
•
Developing further recommendations to the Colorado
department of human services and other state agencies on
how to address the health, mental health, economic, and
other impacts of the boarding school system; and
•
Funding for 2 term-limited FTE to support the
recommendations.
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