My next stop was at Fort Lewis College, where I signed bipartisan HB22-1327. This legislation has two major components. First, it establishes the Native American boarding school research program in History Colorado to research the events, physical and emotional abuse, and deaths that occurred at Native American boarding schools in Colorado. Second, the bill ensures that the property where the Grand Junction Regional Center was located will not be sold or transferred until after the identification and mapping of any graves of students buried at the Native American boarding school that was located on the property, and until after the department develops a plan, in consultation with Tribal governments, to acknowledge the abuse and victimization of students and families related to the operation of the school. This legislation alone will not heal the wounds of the past, but by acknowledging these sins we can create a path for us to move toward a healthier and more inclusive Colorado for all, together.
Next up, I signed SB22-148, a bipartisan bill which creates the Colorado Land Based Tribe Behavioral Health Services Grant, which will provide $5 million in ARPA funding to Tribal Nations in Colorado so they may design a culturally competent program that meets the behavioral health needs of Tribal communities in the region.
I also signed bipartisan SB22-104 to create a pathway for the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe to efficiently receive pass-through funding from the state, which further strengthens the Tribal/state relationship. This legislation also respects Tribal Sovereignty while ensuring that the Tribes have the opportunity to participate in programs that will support the needs of the Tribal Nations and their members in a way that they deem fit.
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