On Friday, Winter Park staff released an official statement acknowledging the resort’s location on ancestral Indigenous land.

Lakota skier Connor Ryan and NativesOutdoors founder Len Necefer helped draft the statement.

“I hope it sets a new precedent for what all ski resorts should be doing,” Ryan said. “All ski resorts operate on Native land that was taken from Native people.”

The statement lists the Nookhose’iinenno (Northern Arapaho), Tsis tsis’tas (Cheyenne), and Nuuchu (Ute) as the “original stewards” of the land, but… that’s kinda all it does.

There’s some debate about whether the statement should acknowledge the land’s history in a less “sugar-coated” way, or if that onus belongs on the government, not the ski company.

So… what’s next? Some are wondering what concrete actions or reparations are being made to accompany the land acknowledgement.

According to Denverite, the resort is taking steps to “remove barriers that prevent Native people from accessing their own homelands,” through scholarship programs, free rentals, and lessons for Native youths. [Denverite]

👉 Also: Have someone or something you’d like to shout out in honor of Native American Heritage Month? Write me. I’d like to know!

☀️ Today’s weather: Sunny and 75. Fall, where you at?

📰 IN OTHER NEWS

🎅 Santa might be stretched a little thin this year…
Not even the North Pole appears to have escaped the national labor shortage. According to one local agency that places Ol’ Saint Nicks at malls across the country, they’re facing a worryingly low number of Santas this season.The shortage is being attributed to some Santas’ fears of getting sick (from 10+ hours a day of holding little germ bombs on their laps) and other Santas’ refusal to mask and vax up. [Denver Post]
👉 Related: The labor shortage also means less trash collectors, so Denver will change trash pick-up days beginning in January…

☕ Welton Street Cafe is moving … a block away
The famed Five Points Welton Street Cafe is leaving the building it’s called home for the last 22 years — but don’t worry, they’re not going far. After a 16-month pandemic-hiatus, the business has been dangerously close to permanent closure all year long. The move to a larger space down the street is an opportunity to grow the staff and dining capacity, but owner Fathima Dickerson said she and her team are still going to need a lot of support from the community. [Denverite]
👉 What you can do: Keep an eye on the cafe’s Facebook page for ways to support the cause.

🚨 Another news anchor raises red flags over 9News
Roughly seven months after former 9News reporter Lori Lizarraga publicly condemned the news station for racial inequity in the newsroom, former anchor Kristen Aguirre is sounding the alarm again. Aguirre alleges discriminatory practices while she was recovering from a stroke and claims her disability was first exploited by her employer to make them look good — but she was ultimately fired for it. [Denver Post]

🤔 CONVERSATION STARTER

It’s Native American Heritage Month. Is there someone or something you’d like to shout out?

What do you think? Write me at peyton.garcia@citycast.fm, or by replying to this email, and I might just share your answer in the newsletter this week. 

🎙 TODAY'S PODCAST

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🗓️ MARK YOUR CAL

+ TUESDAY-SUNDAY: Denver Fashion Week
Check out the latest work from local designers and learn about the industry’s turn toward sustainability at this Mile High version of fashion week.

+ THURSDAY: Cherry Creek Holiday Market
Check everyone off your list with gifts from this outdoor market, running daily through Christmas Eve featuring local makers and designers.

+ STARTING THURSDAY: Christmas at DCPA
Kick off the holiday season with DCPA’s immersive Camp Christmas experience or a performance of “A Christmas Carol” and the “Hip Hop Nutcracker.”

Earlier this year, co-owner of Parker’s Los Dos Potrillos Mexican Restaurant y Cerveceria Daniel Ramirez was diagnosed with testicular cancer. After surgery and several rounds of chemotherapy, he’s doing well. But Daniel wanted to use the platform of his family’s brewery to give back — throughout November, all 32-ounce crowlers will be wrapped in photos and testimonials sharing the experiences of friends who have also battled cancer. Fifty percent of sales from the beers will go toward organizations chosen by the featured cancer survivors. [Read more 👉 Westword]