Rick Williams’ Cheyenne ancestors were pushed out of Colorado along with members of dozens of other Indian tribes. They were forced onto reservations out of state, and today, little sign remains of their time living on Colorado’s busy Front Range corridor. 

Williams is leading an effort to document what was lost, recommend how to restore some of it, and account for atrocities against Indian people. But he’s working towards these goals at a time when many Americans do not want to acknowledge the troubled parts of American history, let alone make amends.

Colorado In Depth is a podcast of special reporting, documentary news and investigations from CPR News. Follow the podcast for reporting from the Front Range, the Four Corners, the Eastern Plains and the mountains.

Reported and written by Paolo Zialcita

Produced by Paolo Zialcita, Rachel Estabrook and Pedro Lumbraño

Edited by Rachel Estabrook

Mixed by Pedro Lumbraño

Music by Pedro Lumbraño and Universal Music

Support from Hart Van Denburg

Additional reporting by Alejandro Alonso Galva

Executive produced by Kevin Dale