Colorado's Breathing, Healing Bus Revives Indigenous Stories of Pain and Resilience
A travelling exhibit called the Breathing, Healing Bus is now sharing Colorado’s Indigenous history across the state. The project highlights both painful past events and the enduring strength of Native communities. Organisers hope it will educate visitors while fostering healing and understanding. The bus covers difficult chapters, from massacres to forced erasure, but also celebrates resilience. Topics include the ongoing issue of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, a cause close to Brielle Patillo, a Northern Arapaho student involved in the project. She speaks for those who no longer can, driven by her great-grandmother’s legacy—she wrote the Arapaho language dictionary.
December White Plume, another contributor, stresses that despite past attempts to wipe out Native presence, Indigenous people and their cultural ties, like the buffalo, remain strong in Colorado. Early state leaders once aimed to make Colorado free of Native Americans, nearly succeeding. Yet today, the bus stands as proof of survival. Terri Bissonette, the lead facilitator, believes learning this history is vital for all Coloradans. The exhibit balances truth-telling with care, offering meditation and hope without retraumatising visitors. Elizabeth Tafoya sees it as a powerful statement: Native people are not fading away but actively preserving their heritage.
The Breathing, Healing Bus moves through Colorado, bringing untold stories to light. It connects past struggles with present-day strength, ensuring Indigenous voices are heard. The project also serves as a reminder that healing and cultural revival continue today.
