Celebrate Native American Indian and Alaskan Native Heritage Month in November

Native American Indian and Alaskan Native (NAIAN) Heritage Month is celebrated in November, and offers an opportunity to acknowledge the rich traditions and heritage of Native American and Alaskan Native communities while recognizing the challenges they face in accessing equitable transportation. 

The role of transportation in equity

Transportation is more than a means to get from one place to another–it is a gateway to opportunity, employment, education and healthcare. However, many Native American and Alaskan Native communities face significant transportation barriers.

Indigenous populations in rural areas often experience limited access to public transit, while urban Indigenous populations encounter challenges such as higher costs of living and systemic inequities. RTD recognizes that transportation equity is essential to reducing these barriers and improving the quality of life for Native American and Alaskan Native people in its service area. RTD’s mission of making lives better through connections entails providing safe, reliable and accessible transit service for all customers.

Transportation equity for tribal communities

In September 2023, the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration (FTA) awarded $9.9 million in grants to 22 American Indian Tribes and Alaska Native communities to improve public transit systems. These grants, part of the FTA's Tribal Transit Program, enable Tribes to purchase new vehicles, upgrade bus facilities and expand transit services introduced by the Biden-Harris administration through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.This federal funding emphasizes the importance of transportation equity for Tribal communities. As U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg noted, "These grants will help ensure Tribal residents have more reliable, affordable ways to access jobs, schools and essential resources." The funding represents an increase of nearly 83%, supporting sustainable and community-driven solutions that meet the unique transportation needs of Tribal Nations.

RTD's commitment to inclusive transportation

RTD continues to work toward transportation solutions that serve everyone in its service area, regardless of background or circumstance. This commitment includes:

• Improving access: The agency is committed to expanding transportation options for communities with immediate transportation needs, including Native American and Alaskan Native populations. This includes regularly reviewing fixed-route services to optimize accessibility and reliability, based on operator and customer feedback, as well as providing support through the Transit Assistance Grant (TAG) Program. The TAG Program distributes grants in the form of standard 10-Ride Ticket books at no cost to qualified nonprofit and governmental organizations that serve community and social service needs. RTD has provided transit passes to organizations that support Native American and Alaskan Native communities, ensuring access to vital services. The agency also lowered its fares systemwide for the first time in its history in January 2024 to make its services more affordable.
• Leveling the playing field: RTD’s Small Business Opportunity Office in the Civil Rights Division works to foster relationships and create business opportunities with NativeAmericanowned businesses and works in collaboration with the Rocky Mountain Indian Chamber of Commerce.
• Promoting sustainability: Indigenous communities have lived sustainably on this land for generations, long before modern transportation systems were developed. RTD is taking steps towards eco-friendly transportation options—particularly through the program in partnership with the Colorado Department of Transportation, to provide efficient mobility solutions.

Celebrating heritage through action

In observance of Native American Indian and Alaskan Native Heritage Month, RTD encourages thecommunity to support local businesses and organizations that advocate for Indigenous peoples. Here are a few ways to get involved:

• Have a meal at Tocabe, an American Indian Eatery:Tocabe is currently the only American Indian-owned and -operated restaurant in the Denver metro area specializing in Native American cuisine. Co-owners Matt Chandra and Ben Jacobs, inspired by Grayhorse, an American Indian Eatery established in 1989, specialize in Indigenous dishes, including Indian tacos.
• Volunteer with Spirit of the Sun: Participate in the weekly Native Elders Food Share through Spirit of the Sun, an Indigenous women-led nonprofit working to empower Native communities. The organization, based on the lands of the OčhéthiŠakówiŋ, Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute), Cheyenne, Arapaho and other tribes, focuses on youth and young adults to boost Native resilience.
• Donate to the Native American Services at the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless: This program provides comprehensive case management services to unsheltered Indigenous adults in the Denver metro area, connecting them to critical resources to help stabilize and exit homelessness.
• Support through donation or volunteering with the Haseya Advocate Program: A Native woman-led organization, Haseya serves Indigenous survivors of domestic and sexual violence in the Colorado Springs region. The organization provides culturally sensitive advocacy, safety planning, resource access and more.