Photo Credits : José Chalit (Trees, Water, & People)
The Estes Valley Land Trust is proud to have partnered with Trees, Water & People, Montezuma Land Conservancy, and the Historic Park Theatre to showcase a short film produced by filmmaker Treston Chee. Rooted is a short narrative documentary that focuses on the journey of tribal access to traditional homelands and watershed restoration through the Traditional Harvest Project. Members of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, private landowners and key partner voices lead the story of Indigenous land access in southwest Colorado. The film portrays an Indigenous movement of rematriation to land, spirituality, community and the natural world.
Audiences heard a panel discussion featuring Jeffrey Boring, Executive Director of the Estes Valley Land Trust, Travis Custer, executive director of Montezuma Land Conservancy, Ernest House Jr., senior policy director and director for tribal and Indigenous engagement at the Keystone Policy Center, and Wyatt Wilson, a cross-cultural program coordinator working jointly with Montezuma Land Conservancy and Trees, Water & People, Montezuma Land Conservancy staff.
While the film is not yet publicly available, you can learn more about the work of Trees, Water & People and Montezuma Land Conservancy and how they are leading the way in Indigenous-led conservation at the resources below.