Thread by @shayshinecastle

Settler's Park renaming application is up now. Reminder: That will be called The Peoples' Crossing, sometime before Indigenous Peoples Day this year (Oct. 11).

Presentation: www-static.bouldercolorado.gov/docs/Item_4A_-…

And my story here: boulderbeat.news/2021/05/28/bou…

The Peoples' Crossing is an OSMP area by Canyon Drive, near the Red Rocks trails. In fact, it used to be known as Red Rocks until about the 1990s.

This renaming is the first time Boulder worked with local tribes to rechristen something. In fact, the proposal came from tribal leaders, during formal consultations.

Here are those tribes:
• Apache Tribe of Oklahoma
• Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma
• Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe
• Comanche Nation of Oklahoma
• Eastern Shoshone Tribe
• Jicarilla Apache Nation
• Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma
• Northern Arapaho Tribe

• Northern Cheyenne Tribe
• Oglala Sioux Tribe
• Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma
• Rosebud Sioux Tribe
• Southern Ute Indian Tribe
• Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
• Ute Mountain Ute Tribe
• Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah & Ouray Reservation

Renaming The Peoples' Crossing was an explicit goal of the 2016 Indigenous Peoples' Day resolution, which sought to correct the omission of indigenous history of what is today known as Boulder, and acknowledge how indigenous peoples were forced out.

Accordingly, almost all the history the city has of The Peoples' Crossing is post-colonization. Boulder will work with tribal leaders to develop a more robust history, which will eventually be put on signs in the area.

This is the spot where miners first came to what is today known as Boulder in 1858, and also reportedly the spot where Chief Niwot told Europeans they couldn't stay (since they were violating a treaty).

That obviously did not happen.

Renaming The Peoples' Crossing is just one thing Boulder is consulting tribal leaders on. A land acknowledgement is also in the works.

The consultations aren't open to the public, btw. Out of respect for the tribal leaders.

So why the Peoples' Crossing?
1. "Boulder and the “Settler’s Park” area have been a crossroads for Indigenous Peoples who have traversed and lived in the mountains and plains of the Boulder area since time immemorial."

2. "The People” or “Our People” are English translations for how many American Indian Tribal Nations refer to themselves in their native languages."

3. "Usage of the term “The People” is meant to be inclusive of all people who have traveled through and have lived in the Boulder area."

This item is a Call-Up, which means council can "call up" or review it, if they wish to give input or change the outcome.

Highly unlikely it will be called up. But I do expect some thoughts to be shared tonight.

Politicians usually can't help themselves.

Not in the presentation (but in my story): It will cost $21,300 to replace signs in the near-term.

There are some more signs that will take a longer time to put up: ones the tribes are helping with.

Settler's Park is also carved into the concrete of a ped underpass ... so that's gonna take awhile and some more cash, I expect.

And here we go with council comments.

Young: I remember in 2016 when we passed the resolution, I thought this would be an easy, quick renaming. "It's been a thoughtful process."

Young says the tribal consultations were "beautiful. ... We can only inspire to that kind of consensus building and way of being."

Weaver: "To watch them interact with one another and with us. The wisdom they bring to deliberations is something to behold and is inspiring. ... It's caused me to think deeply about what leadership means, and community."

"Thank you to the tribal nations that have helped us look back and learn from mistakes," Weaver says.

Bro, I try to help you look back and learn from mistakes every day!

(Less heinous mistakes, tho, for sure.)

Weaver: "Even tho we are not voting in not calling this up, we are giving our unanimous approval."

So that's all for this one. The Peoples' Crossing will be the name going forward.

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