Native Americans

There is some evidence to suggest that Paleo Indian and Archaic peoples once inhabited or at least hunted and gathered in the Florissant valley.

The human story began with people on this landscape at least 10,000 years ago. We know, from the oral traditions of today’s traditionally associated tribes, that their ancestors had developed deep connections to the land through their culture and their lifestyle. In the late 1800s, they were forcibly removed from the area.

Nineteen sovereign indigenous nations were traditionally associated with this area. The tribes, listed below, describe the Monument's location as within their historic range.
Southern Ute Indian Tribe
Jicarilla Apache Nation
Ute Mountain Ute Tribe
Navajo Nation
Assiniboine & Sioux Tribe
Kiowa
Comanche
Northern Cheyenne
Ohkay Owingeh
Pueblo of Acoma
Pueblo of Cochiti
Pueblo of San Ildefonso
Pueblo of Santa Clara
Pueblo of Taos
White Mesa Ute
Zuni Tribe
Arapaho of the Wind River Reservation
Ute Tribe Uintah and Ouray Reservations

 

View of Florissant Valley from overlook on the Geologic Trail

"As Native peoples we are stewards of the land. We take care not to use more resources than we need and acknowledge and respect the ancestors who were here before us. There is an energy from the spirits who are the guardians of our ancestral landscape."
Alden Naranjo, Southern Ute Elder

To learn more, explore:

Arc of Heritage - Changing Values Over Time

The Land Provides - A Ute Perspective on the Florissant Valley

Native Views - Different Perspectives on Fossils

 

Learn about Homesteading on the Florissant Fossil Beds >

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