Braiding a path forward through reconciliation
Fort Lewis College is committed to an ongoing reconciliation process that acknowledges our historical impact and honors our responsibilities to Indigenous communities, students, faculty, and staff. This work requires intentional focus, healing, and sustained action—and it is essential to our shared future.
The Reconciliation Department leads this commitment by partnering with faculty, staff, students, and Tribal Nations. Our goal is to strengthen the well‑being of Indigenous students, increase their sense of belonging, and uphold our responsibilities to both Indigenous communities and the College.
Reconciliation is a core pillar of the Fort Lewis College Strategic Plan 2025–30. The plan weaves five transformative directions—Reconciliation, Academics, Student‑Ready, Basic Needs, and Community Connections—into a braided framework for growth. Through this work, we create pathways for the FLC community to build shared understanding, uphold collective responsibility, and embody the commitments outlined in the Reconciliation Framework. Our efforts focus on professional development, curriculum development, student healing and support, and community impact.
Learn about Fort Lewis College's Board of Trustees' commitment to Reconciliation
Reconciliation with and for Indigenous communities in the United States aims to address the historical and ongoing legacy and impacts of U.S. settler colonialism on Indigenous communities, repair relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples, and foster healing for Indigenous communities. Central to reconciliation is respecting the self-determination and sovereignty of Tribal Nations. Fort Lewis College began in the late 19th century as Fort Lewis Indian Boarding School, a site of violent, assimilative, and other harmful practices prevalent in the federal Indian boarding school system.
Reconciliation at Fort Lewis College is a comprehensive process that acknowledges the institution’s troubled origins while establishing respectful and reciprocal relationships with Tribal Nations and Indigenous communities. The ongoing work of reconciliation at Fort Lewis College is a shared responsibility that centers Indigenous voices, where community members contribute by engaging with our history and actively participating in collaborative efforts to advance meaningful institutional change. Our Reconciliation framework seeks an impact across four priority areas: Tribal Nation Building, Indigenous Culture and Knowledge, Language Reclamation, and Health & Wellness.
The Reconciliation Framework
To address our institution’s connection to the intergenerational impacts of federal Indian boarding schools, Fort Lewis College has undertaken a comprehensive approach to student belonging, well-being, and success through reconceptualizing education to heal the wounds of our genesis. Our approach is centered on the belief that reconciliation is an on-going process that requires an intentional focus on healing, centering of Indigenous voices, and Tribal Nation building. Fort Lewis College has undertaken a comprehensive approach to reconciliation that is focused on healing, maintaining respectful and reciprocal relationships with Tribal Nations and Indigenous communities, and caring for Indigenous students at FLC. We have developed a reconciliation framework that drives our work of FLC at all levels.
The Reconciliation Framework is used as a guide for decision-making at all levels of the institution, holds students at the center, and is seen as a shared responsibility by all people. Our framework is guided by three core principles:
Our commitment to reconciliation seeks to uphold our responsibilities to Tribal Nations and Indigenous communities through continuous healing across the community, delivery of curriculum and programs that serve the needs of Tribal and Indigenous communities, increased sense of belonging for Indigenous students, faculty, and staff, and improved student outcomes.
Our reconciliation framework seeks an impact across four priority areas:
Disruption to tribal governments is a key impact of the federal Indian boarding school system. We seek to create academic programs that meet the specific social, educational, health, and governmental needs of Tribal Nations. Focus will be on enhancing tribal sovereignty, strengthening tribal infrastructure, and building tribal workforce capacities.
Federal Indian boarding schools resulted in tribal language loss across generations. We seek to develop a comprehensive language revitalization effort that partners with Tribal Nations to document tribal languages, develop tribal language resources and curriculum, and prepare tribal language educators.
Federal Indian board schools had detrimental and intergenerational impacts on physical and mental health in Indigenous communities. We are committed to developing comprehensive, culturally responsive wellness programs that address the physical and mental well-being of our Indigenous students.
The erosion of tribal cultural practices is a lasting impact of federal Indian boarding schools. We seek to create curricular and co-curricular cultural knowledge programs that center Indigenous knowledge systems and engage students in the revitalization of cultural practices.
Art, history and dialogue come together to explore Southwest Colorado as a shared, living landscape.
Richelle Montoya, the first woman elected to that office, toured campus with FLC leadership.
Fort Lewis College alumna and linguist Stacey Oberly (’92) helps revitalize Indigenous languages through teaching and collaboration with the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute tribes.
The FIT program provides a strong foundation for aspiring and beginning farmers through morning field work, afternoon classes, and field trips.