The 2018 Outdoor Retailer and Snow Show, a major convention for the outdoor industry, kicks off today in Denver. When the snow melts, the industry will gather again in Colorado, this time, with tribal leaders.
This weekend’s gathering is the first Outdoor Retailer show since the organization left Utah in protest of the state representatives’ stances on public lands issues. Denver will be home to all three of the Outdoor Retailer trade shows, including a winter market in November and a summer market this July. That’s when Colorado’s outdoor recreation office and the Commission of Indian Affairs will host a summit of tribal leaders.
There are 48 tribes that call Colorado home, and the state said this summit will offer a chance for native communities to have a say in a larger discussion about recreation and public lands. Colorado Lieutenant Gov. Donna Lynne is chair of the Commission of Indian Affairs. Her office said the summit will cover economic development, cultural revitalization and management of public lands.