A circus with a land acknowledgment: Bindlestiff shows respect for native cultures with its act at the Vilar

Even the most seasoned circus goers have probably not seen many big-top performances that begin with a land acknowledgment.

But that’s exactly how the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus began its act at the Vilar Performing Arts Center on Feb. 28, the final performance in the troupe’s Nebraska-Wyoming-Colorado tour.

Before the show began, Bindlestiff founder Keith Nelson took a minute to let the audience know — in a type of land acknowledgment that has become commonplace these days — that the area in which they were enjoying the night’s activities was once home to the Ute Tribe.