Reclaiming Boulder's Indigenous past

In a packed Niwot Hall on Feb. 26, the Niwot Historical Society hosted Jerilyn DeCoteau (Chippewa Indian lawyer, co-director of Toward Right Relationship with Native Peoples Program, and Chief Justice for the Pueblo of San Ildefonso Supreme Court) and former Naropa University Professor Laurie Rugenstein, who delivered a powerful presentation that illuminated Boulder County's often-overlooked Native American history while advocating for meaningful steps toward reconciliation.

The speakers, part of the Niwot Historical Society's Now & Then Lecture Series, explained how Boulder Valley has been home to Indigenous peoples for more than 14,000 years, with the Arapaho and Cheyenne peoples arriving in the mid-1700s. They were recognized as the rightful inhabitants of Colorado's Front Range through the 1851 Treaty of Fort Laramie.

Chief Niwot (Left Hand) and his band of Southern Arapaho used Boulder Valley as their winter camp, an area rich in elk, deer, antelope, and valuable medicines. In November 1858, Chief Niwot permitted gold seekers to shelter over the winter in Boulder Canyon with the understanding they would leave in the spring.

They explained that history took a darker turn when gold was discovered on Jan. 16, 1859. Just three weeks later, miners established Boulder City Town Company in clear violation of both the Fort Laramie Treaty and their agreement with Chief Niwot.

As Boulder grew, local settlers built Fort Chambers on property now known as 3902 North 63rd Street, for protection "during the Indian uprising," though historical records indicate the Arapaho posed no threat to Boulder settlers. In 1864, volunteer militia mustered at Fort Chambers before joining Colonel John Chivington's forces in carrying out the Sand Creek Massacre.

On Nov. 29, 1864, Boulder Valley men were among the 700 U.S. cavalry who attacked Cheyenne and Arapaho people camped at Sand Creek under the protection of the United States flag and a white flag of truce. The first assault specifically targeted Chief Niwot's Arapaho encampment.

The speakers said the attack resulted in the deaths of more than 230 Cheyenne and Arapaho people, including a mortally wounded Chief Niwot and 18 other chiefs, nearly one-third of the tribes' leadership.

Following the massacre, most Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho were eventually confined to reservation lands in Oklahoma, while the Northern Arapaho were resettled on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming and forced to share land with their traditional enemies, the Eastern Shoshone.

"Boulder has benefited directly from Indian removal policies that violated human rights, broke government treaties, and forced Arapaho people from their homeland," states the Indigenous Peoples Day resolution approved by Boulder's City Council in 2016.

In 2017, in response to this history, Right Relationship Boulder was formed. The all-volunteer organization works to build lasting relationships between Boulder residents and Indigenous peoples who once lived here, and those who live here today.

The group's first action was visiting Arapaho people in Oklahoma and Wyoming to ask how they would like to relate to the Boulder Valley today. Their responses included desires for land in Boulder to honor ancestors and teach their children, land to manage a buffalo herd, and housing for overnight stays during trips between Oklahoma and Wyoming.

In 2018, the City of Boulder's Open Space and Mountain Parks Department purchased a 113-acre property on 63rd Street that includes the site of Fort Chambers. The speakers explained that this land has special significance as it lies between Valmont Butte and Haystack Mountain, both sacred sites to many Indigenous nations.

While a concept plan has been approved for the property by the city, only 10% of the land is designated for education and reflection on the fort and its consequences for the Arapaho and Cheyenne people. The majority of the property is set aside for ecological restoration (50%) and agricultural use (35%).

The city removed a stone monument in 2023 which stated that the fort was "used during the Indian uprising," but Arapaho and Cheyenne tribal representatives have asked that it be restored to reflect the longstanding inaccurate representation. The speakers emphasized the importance of creating a physical representation of the fort, saying, "Otherwise all we will see is this lovely landscape, we will not be confronted with the truth of what happened here."

The City of Boulder holds 46,000 acres of open space land, and Boulder County holds more than 100,000 acres-all originally Native land. The speakers noted that despite acknowledging this injustice, not a single acre has been returned.

Right Relationship Boulder has successfully advocated for Fort Chambers to be designated as a "Site of Conscience," where visitors can learn the truth and consider what justice would look like today.

The group continues to push for structural changes, including the creation of an Indigenous advisory committee for the city and county and a permanent seat on the Open Space Board of Trustees for an Indigenous person.