In the 1870s, the American Unitarian Association (AUA) accepted an invitation from the Federal government to have Protestant congregations take over the management of American Indian reservations and agencies. The hope was to cut down on government corruption while still trying to ‘civilize’ the Indians. Unitarians were given charge of the district covering the Colorado reservation occupied by various tribes of the Ute, consisting of about 8,000 people. In 2009, then UUA President Bill Sinkford, apologized for our part in this awful history. On this Indigenous People’s Day weekend, we ask ourselves, ‘is there more we can do than simply apologize?’ Join us as we grapple with our history.
Topics: Courage