I’d like to acknowledge that I currently occupy land that was originally Cheyenne and Arapaho territory, and commonly traveled through by the Ute. I want to acknowledge that my ability to learn on this land — a privilege my own ancestors did not have due to systemic injustice and lack of accessibility — is because of the forced sacrifices these tribes had to make due to the violence inflicted by the United States government and Coloradan government, including DU’s founder, John Evans, who was found culpable for the Sand Creek Massacre — a massacre that killed hundreds of Cheyenne and Arapaho people, mostly women, children, and elders. I thank those tribes for their sacrifices, and hope that we all will remember them as we continue to occupy this space and learn on their traditional homelands.

I also thank my own ancestors for their sacrifices and resilience that has led me here today.

Special thanks goes to Viki Eagle, for the header photo for this project, and for mentoring me through this project and through my time at DU. Without a doubt, I would not be where I am now without your support and guidance.

Thank you to my advisor, Lynn Schofield Clark, for not only guiding me through this project, but for always believing in and advocating for me. You’ve been such an important part of my career at DU, and I’ll forever be thankful for that.

Thank you to my mother, Cherri Foytlin, for teaching me the beauty and brilliance in storytelling, and for fighting, for many things, but for our family’s connection to our tribe and culture. Thank you for the million other things you’ve done for me. I’ll always love you more.

Thank you to my five silly, intelligent, brave siblings. I did this project, as well as this whole journey through college, for you. Never forget that you can do anything.

Thank you to all faculty and professors in the Media, Film and Journalism Studies department. This project could not have been completed without the knowledge and skills you all have graciously given me. Special thanks to Andrew Matranga who has specifically guided my writing career the last four years, and who has never stopped fighting for me, the Clarion, and student voice on campus.

And lastly, perhaps most importantly, thank you to the Native community in Denver and at DU. Thank you to the greater Denver Native community for keeping me grounded throughout my four years at DU, and especially to our Native elders — especially Sid Whiting and Teresa Bernie — whose wisdom will guide me for a lifetime. Thank you to all Indigenous faculty here at DU, especially Chris Nelson. You inspire me every day. And thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to the Native Student Alliance. You all will always be my family.