Grounded Relations and Repair Exhibit

Grounded Relations & Repair is a doorway for accountable relations with Native nations. With the advent of the 150-year anniversary of the University of Colorado Boulder and the state of Colorado, this exhibit foregrounds the cartographic history of the lands in which CU-Boulder resides. 

In collaboration with the Map Library at University of Colorado Boulder, this project presents a cartographic exhibit featuring the maps and stories of respected Native artists and intellectuals including Rick Williams, George Levi, Sid Whiting Jr, Kristina Bad Hand, and other Native intellectuals who wish to use this time of reflection on the history of CU-Boulder to recognize the longer history of these lands and future—a past, present, and future where Native presence is ongoing alongside the University community. 

Using a combination of classical cartography and artistic works, Grounded Relations & Repair will demonstrate the ongoing ways in which Native peoples wish to see their stories and worlds acknowledged, as to foreground accountable relations that create the conditions for the repair of the Earth. Where not everything can be repaired, the exhibit continues a centuries long testament of Native resilience that maps Indigenous life, governance, and thrivance back into place.

Opening Reception: Join us October 30 at 3:30 pm in Room 180 of CU Boulder's Earth Sciences Building for the opening colloquium of Grounded Relations & Repair, featuring a discussion on the significance of Native art and the role of geography in recognizing Native sovereignty and repairing relationships with Native nations.

Image by George Levi.