Vail settles free-speech lawsuit with Native American artist

According to CBS News Colorado, the Town of Vail has settled a lawsuit brought by Danielle SeeWalker, a Húŋkpapȟa Lakȟota citizen of the Standing Rock Sioux Nation. SeeWalker alleged her First Amendment rights were violated when the town canceled her 2024 artist-in-residence position after objections to one of her past works comparing Palestinians in Gaza to Indigenous people in the U.S.

As part of the settlement, the Town of Vail agreed to fund a new art program for underrepresented and economically disadvantaged people, including Native people; host an annual powwow, free of rental and maintenance charges, organized by SeeWalker for five years; sponsor a non-public, interfaith community forum on Israel and Palestine, and provide annual cultural sensitivity training for its Arts and Public Places Department staff by an Indigenous-led organization. CBS News Colorado reported the town denied wrongdoing but said mediation led to a mutually acceptable solution.