RENAMING

ing a departmental action with tribal implications,” Lyon said. “So, no decision will be made on Mount Evans today and we won’t be discussing any of the pending proposals.”

Clear Creek County o cials and Native American tribe representatives said ursday that they wanted to wait to comment until they had more information about the request to defer a vote.

However, during the Colorado board’s meetings last fall to hear proposals on renaming Mount Evans, Northern Arapaho tribe members had advocated for Mount Blue Sky and Northern Cheyenne tribe members supported the name Mount Cheyenne Arapaho. Colorado Geographic Naming Advisory Board members had asked proponents of the name Mount Blue Sky if they had plans to meet with those who advocated for Mount Cheyenne Arapaho to negotiate an agreeable name.

“If we have two names, both with support from di erent Indian nations, is there any room for the two groups to discuss this further or do you want us to decide?” state Rep. Adrienne Benavidez, a renaming committee board member, asked during that November meeting.

A member of a coalition that gathered input from tribal representa- tives said the group tried many times to engage members of the Northern Cheyenne tribe in discussion, but were unsuccessful.

“I think the time is long past due for the acknowledgement that that is not an appropriate name,” Clear Creek County Commission Chairman Randy Wheelock said. He coled, from November 2020 to March 2022, educational, public comment and deliberation meetings before Clear Creek County o cials recommended the new Mount Blue Sky name to the Colorado Geographic Naming Advisory board. He said he had no comment about the deferral, until he and other local o cials had more information.

“Generally speaking, my attitude was — and the board’s attitude was — that we were giving the biggest credence to the two indigenous proposals, and when they didn’t combine (and agree) on one proposal, we looked at the level of support that each of them had and there was much, much greater support that we saw from both the Indigenous community and the non-Indigenous community for Mount Blue Sky, and so that was the reason we went ahead and made that choice,” Wheelock said before the vote was deferred.

For some Native American Coloradans, renaming the peak has been a decadeslong process. And for state o cials and other community members, who engaged in research to support four other name change proposals for the Clear Creek County landmark, the process has taken more than a year to complete. e renaming process, so far, has aimed to strip former Gov. John Evans’ name from the 14,265-foot landmark. Evans, who served as territorial governor from 1862 to 1865, was forced to resign for his role in the 1864 Sand Creek Massacre, a deadly attack on Native Americans that led to the deaths of more than 230 Cheyenne and Arapaho people, mostly women, children and older adults. e Colorado Geographic Naming Advisory Board in November voted unanimously to change the name to Mount Blue Sky, a move supported by Clear Creek County o cials, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, and many Native American tribe leaders and members who contributed to the renaming process.

Anne Hayden, John Evans’ greatgreat-granddaughter, noting that she did not represent all members of her family, testi ed at a public meeting about renaming the peak and said she favored changing its name.

Gov. Polis earlier this month wrote in a letter to the U.S. Board on Geographic Names that each of the 14,000-foot peaks in Colorado deserves “a name be tting their majesty.”

While many Coloradans have grown up knowing the name Mount Evans, Polis wrote, it’s clear that people want a new name that unites the community and does not divide it.

In the letter, Polis cited research by scholars at the University of Denver and Northwestern University, both of which Evans helped found, saying their work showed “Evans’ culpability for the Sand Creek Massacre, without question.”

During the formal process to consider renaming the peak, Colorado Geographic Naming Advisory Board members received more than 200 written and verbal statements from Native American tribe leaders, local government o cials, community members and loved ones of those who perished in or survived the Sand Creek Massacre, Chris Arend, a spokesman for the state naming board wrote in an email to e Colorado Sun on Wednesday.

“Considering there were six proposals and hours of public testimony, it was clear that there was a strong shared desire to rename Mount Evans,” he wrote in the email. “Ultimately, Mount Blue Sky struck the appropriate cord to garner support of Clear Creek County, the (Colorado Renaming Advisory Board) and Governor Polis.” is story is from e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support e Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun.com. e Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media. ber breakfast will be 7:30-9 a.m. Wednesday, April 5, at Troutdale Tavern. For more information and to register, visit evergreenchamber.org.

Free legal clinic: A free legal clinic for people with no attorney will be from 2 to 5 p.m. ursday, April 6. By telephone or video, volunteer attorneys will answer questions, help ll out forms, and explain the process and procedure for all areas of civil litigation. Pre-registration for individual 15-minute appointments is available by calling 303-235-5275 or visiting https://tinyurl.com/ ykzs2ej7.

Je co Foothills Town Hall: A Je co Foothills Town Hall focusing on reducing wild re risk will from 9-10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 8, at the Evergreen Fire/Rescue Administration Building, 1802 Bergen Parkway. Area experts will discuss what can be done to prepare for wild re. e event is free.

Evergreen chamber mixer: e Evergreen Area Chamber of Commerce’s monthly mixer will be from 5-7 p.m. April 13 at Flow eory CoWorks & Best Custom Homes, 3540 Evergreen Parkway. For more information and to register, visit evergreenchamber.org.

Conifer chamber awards banquet: e Conifer Area Chamber of Commerce will host its awards banquet from 5-8 p.m. ursday, April 20, at Beaver Ranch. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit goconifer.com.

Sips for Scholarships: Bootstraps Inc. will host Sips for Scholarships from 6:30-9 p.m. ursday, April 20, at Twin Forks Tavern, 19423 N. Turkey Creek Road. Tickets are $75 and available at bootstrapsinc.org.

Rockies Springtime art show: Shadow Mountain Gallery will display artists’ renditions of springtime in a wide range of media through April 29. One-of-a-kind artwork will be priced for every budget. Shadow Mountain Gallery is open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. in downtown Evergreen between Java Groove and Beau Jo’s.

ONGOING

Mountain Area Democrats: Mountain Area Democrats meet the fourth Saturday of each month at 9 a.m. through April at United Methodist Church of Evergreen, 3757 Ponderosa Drive, Evergreen. For more information, email MountainAreaDems@gmail. com.

LGBTQ+ teen book club: Resilience1220 is o ering a LGBTQ+ teen book club that meets from 4-6 p.m. the fourth Monday at the Resilience1220 o ce next to the Buchanan Park Recreation Center. e group’s rst book is “Hell Followed With Us.” For more information and to register, visit R1220.org.

Hiwan Museum winter hours: Hiwan Museum has shortened winter hours for tours, open ursday and Friday from noon to 4 p.m. and weekends from noon to 4:30 p.m. Private tours of large groups may be accommodated when the museum is closed by calling Erica Duvic at Hiwan Museum at 720-4977653.

Community Bible Study: Several community Bible study groups are available — women (in person and online), co-ed young adults, school age, preschool & babies. is year’s study covers six books of the Bible: Philemon 1, 2, 3, John, Jude and Revelation. In-person classes are ursday morning at Rockland Community Church in Genesee, Tuesday night at Bergan Park Church in Evergreen and Wednesday morning at Conifer Community Church in Conifer. More information is available at cbsclass. org/evergreengolden.

ESA EverGREEN Re ll Station: EverGREEN Re ll Station (re ll your laundry detergent, lotions, soaps and more. We have many sustainable products available). e Re ll Station is open Tuesdays from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. and Wednesdays from 1-4 p.m. It is located upstairs in the Habitat Restore in Bergen Park, 1232 Bergen Parkway.

Support After Suicide Loss: Heartbeat and Resilience1220 o er Support After Suicide Loss from 5:30-7 p.m. the fourth ursday of the month for ages 14 and older. Join in-person or online. Suggest donation is $15. For location, visit R1220. org.

History Happy Hour: e Evergreen Mountain Area Historical Society will host a History Happy Hour from 4:30-6:30 p.m. the second Friday of each month at Hiwan Museum. Join us in a round table discussion on any and all aspects of history with topics driven by the attendees.

Sensitive Collection: Resilience1220 o ers a monthly workshop for highly sensitive people to help them live healthy and empowered lives from 3:30-4:30 p.m. the third Wednesday of the month via Zoom. Visit R1220.org for more information.

Caregiver support groups: Mount Evans Home Health Care & Hospice o ers two monthly groups to provide emotional support services for caregivers helping ill, disabled or elderly loved ones. An in-person support group meets every third Monday from 4-6 p.m. at 3081 Bergen Peak Road, Evergreen, and a virtual support group meets every rst Tuesday from 10 a.m.-noon via Zoom. Call 303-674-6400 to learn how to connect to the group virtual call. For more information visit mtevans.org/ services/emotional-support/.

Parkinson’s disease support group: A Parkinson’s disease support group meets the rst Friday of the month from 1-3 p.m. at Evergreen Christian Church, 27772 Iris Drive, Evergreen. For more information, email esears@parkinsonrockies.org.

Mountain Foothills Rotary meetings: Mountain Foothills Rotary meets at 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays both in person at Mount Vernon Canyon Club at 24933 Club House Circle, Genesee, and via Zoom. Join the Zoom meeting at https://us02web. zoom.us/j/81389224272, meeting ID 813 8922 4272, phone 346-248-7799.

Beyond the Rainbow: Resilience1220 o ers Beyond the Rainbow, which is two support groups that meet from 7-8:30 p.m. the second Wednesday of the month. One is a safe group for those 12-20 and the other is group for parents and caregivers wanting support for raising an LGBTQ child. To RSVP, contact Lior Alon at lior@wisetreewellness.com.