Indigenous Peoples’ Weekend returns to Manitou Springs -- and you’re invited!

MANITOU SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - Manitou Springs is honoring an important piece of its heritage this weekend.

Friday through Sunday marks the city’s third annual Indigenous Peoples’ Weekend!

The event started 2021 as the city opted to acknowledge Indigenous Peoples’ Day in lieu of Columbus Day and has been a tremendous success. The city says the event has had overwhelming support from the entire community.

“Indigenous Peoples’ Weekend is a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with people that were here for thousands of years, and it gives them a chance to reconnect and tell their story,” said Don Goede, a member of the Indigenous Peoples’ Weekend (IPW) committee.

The Ute people, as well as members of the Cheyenne, Comanche, Arapahoe and Apache nations, have a long and storied history in what is now known as Manitou Springs. It’s also a history that saw them forced off the land during the 19th century.

“I would say our goal in Manitou and hopefully beyond is to welcome them back the best way we can by honoring them, respecting their culture, and inviting them to come and share what they choose to share,” Goede said.

The city is working to right those wrongs, including with a land acknowledgement it reads at various events:

“Just welcoming people back to their homeland is a good beginning. I think we have a lot of work to do in a lot of areas, but we have to start somewhere,” Goede said.

He went on:

“If we choose to reconnect with things that have happened in the past that maybe or absolutely were wrong, it may not have to be about shame and guilt and fear, as much as it’s just about reconnecting and celebrating people’s ancestral connections and culture. It can be that simple. We live in such an amazing time where there are so many different types of culture, for us in particular, I believe in Manitou Springs, we love to connect with the people who were here.”

Indigenous Peoples’ Weekend is a part of that, and the weekend will showcase a variety of events at different locations across Manitou. While it won’t include last year’s special tribute (”We had a rare and wonderful opportunity to have dignitaries from all over the state and beyond ride horseback down the [Ute] trail,” Goede told me; the video of which can be seen above) there will still be plenty of special moments.

Some of the highlights include multiple presentations by a master storyteller, Larry Cesspooch:

“Telling one of the many Ute creation stories in full regalia, and he’s also a spiritual leader, so he brings a very unique perspective to that. It’s not just a story; he tells it with such zeal and energy and culture ... he shares his culture with us, and it’s just absolutely incredible to be able to experience that,” Goede said.

As well as an opportunity to see a bear dance, which some say hasn’t been performed in southern Colorado in more than 150 years, and the unveiling of a fountain in honor of late local spiritual leader Loya Arrum.

“Then Sunday is a really special day because starting at 11:30, we are going to plant a peace tree with an arrow priest, Joe David Osage, and that will be followed by a community potluck. We call it ‘Food for the Earth’ potluck ... and it’ll probably go as late as 2:30. And we make a really unique seven-minute stew, we ask community members to bring a dish to share, and we also will have the Buffalo Lodge drum group, and singers and dancers will also be performing then, and that will kind of be sort of the end of Sunday.”

These next three days are a chance for us to gather and honor those people who were here first. Who are still here now. Whose culture is still woven into the fabric of Manitou today.

Below is a schedule of events, courtesy of the city. All are free and open to the public!

Art Show and Gallery Opening: Manitou—The Art of the Great Spirit

Date: Friday, October 6th, 2023

Location: Manitou Art Center, 513 Manitou Ave, Manitou Springs, CO

Time: 5:00 - 8:00 pm

Experience ‘Manitou—The Art of the Great Spirit’, an art show celebrating local artists from Manitou Springs. Join us for a FIRST FRIDAY ART EVENT showcasing the creative works of artists embedded in the Manitou community. Performance of ‘Tada Tava—Planetary Pop Up Puppetry’ with Kat Tudor & friends, time TBA.

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Ceremony & Presentation at SunWater Spa:

Date: Saturday, October 7th, 2023

Location: SunWater Spa. 514 El Paso Boulevard

Time: 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Summary of Events:

6:00 pm - 6:15 pm - Laughing Waters Fountain Dedication with Celinda Kaelin, Kat Tudor, Buffalo Lodge Singers

6:30 pm - 7:30 pm - Food Offering, TeePee Room

7:30 pm - Tada Tava Puppet Presentation with Kat Tudor and friends

8:00 pm - Larry Cesspooch, Ute Creation Story followed by Bear and Round Dances

8:30 pm - Dancing & Drumming with Buffalo Lodge Singers

6:00 pm - 9:00 pm Open Soak for Indigenous Peoples (also Sunday from 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm)

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Ceremony: Planting of the Peace Tree

Date: Sunday, October 8th, 2023

Location: Mansions Park, 198 Lovers Lane, Manitou Springs, CO

Time: 11:30 am - 12:30 pm

Ceremony by Arrow Priest Joe David Osage

Summary: “Experience a profound ‘Planting of the Peace Tree’ ceremony led by Arrow Priest Joe David Osage—a symbolic gesture of unity and harmony.”

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Event: ‘Food from the Earth’ Potluck and Dance Performance

Date: Sunday, October 8th, 2023

Location: Memorial Hall, 502 Manitou Ave, Manitou Springs, CO

Time: 12:30 pm - 2:30 pm

• Featuring Seven-Minute Stew, free to the community

• Bring a dish from the heart to share.

• Soup will be vegan and gluten free.

• Slow cooked seasoned beef brisket, pulled pork and chicken will also be available à la carte.

• Opening/blessing Larry Cesspooch speaks/tell stories

• Performance by traditional Ute Host Nation Dancers

• 6:00 pm until 10:00 pm Free Soaks for Indigenous Peoples at SunWater Spa, Manitou Springs, CO

Summary: “Join us for the ‘Food from the Earth’ Potluck and Community event. Enjoy FREE Seven-Minute Stew and share in a heartfelt, vegan, gluten-free dish that embodies the spirit of the community. Purchase à la carte slow cooked seasoned beef brisket, pulled pork and chicken to compliment your meal. We also encourage you to bring a dish to share which embodies the spirit of togetherness. Larry Cesspooch will offer an opening blessing and share stories. Experience a performance by traditional Ute Host Nation Dancers.”

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