For Native American Heritage Month, Sister Cities International highlights a growing partnership between Broomfield, Colorado, and the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, bringing Native and non-Native communities together through shared history, cultural understanding, and meaningful connections.
In recognition of Native American Heritage Month, Sister Cities International is highlighting the partnership between Broomfield, Colorado, and the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, an initiative rooted in understanding history, strengthening relationships, and building connections between Native and non-Native communities.
Centered in Broomfield, Colorado, the citizen-led partnership seeks to reexamine local, state, and national history while creating opportunities for meaningful engagement with Native communities. Officially recognized on March 22, 2025, the partnership was formalized through a signing ceremony in downtown Denver, attended by Broomfield Mayor Guyleen Castriotta and Cheyenne and Arapaho Governor Reggie Wassana. The agreement established a formal relationship between the City and County of Broomfield and the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, whose headquarters are located in Concho, Oklahoma.
Today, the Cheyenne and Arapaho partnership stands as one of three recognized affiliates of Broomfield Sister Cities, joining its longstanding partnerships with Ueda, Japan, and Lalitpur, Nepal.
A central part of the initiative is helping the wider Broomfield community better understand the history of Indigenous peoples and the importance of translating that understanding into tangible action. Through collaboration with the City and County of Broomfield, the partnership has contributed to broader conversations about Indigenous connections, land acknowledgments, and the region’s history.
Educational resources, including the city’s Indigenous Connections and Land Acknowledgement initiative and the video We Share a History: Broomfield and the Cheyenne and Arapaho, produced by the City’s Arts and History team, offer opportunities for residents to learn more about the historical relationship between the region and the Tribes.
Broomfield’s initiative also builds on the example of another Colorado community. In 2021, Longmont established a Sister Cities partnership with the Northern Arapaho Tribe, an effort that helped influence the development of Broomfield’s own initiative. According to Broomfield’s organizers, these two partnerships represent a rare model of formal Sister Cities relationships between U.S. communities and sovereign Native nations within the United States.
Through this partnership, Broomfield and the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes are creating opportunities for dialogue, historical learning, and stronger relationships across communities. Their work demonstrates how Sister Cities partnerships can extend beyond international borders, bringing people together through a shared commitment to understanding, respect, and lasting connection.
As Sister Cities International celebrates Native American Heritage Month, the Broomfield–Cheyenne and Arapaho partnership serves as a reminder that building meaningful connections begins with recognizing the histories that shape our communities and working together toward a more connected future.
Story information provided by Marrton Dormish, Program Director of Broomfield Sister Cities – Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes Affiliate.
