By Ryan Steal
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis this week revoked a 19th-century proclamation calling on residents to kill Native Americans and seize their property, in an effort to atone for “past misdeeds.”
The Sand Creek Massacre, one of Colorado’s darkest and most tumultuous historical episodes, was precipitated by an order issued by Colorado’s second territorial governor, John Evans, in 1864. More than 200 Arapaho and Cheyenne people were killed in the horrific attack, the majority of them were women, children, and the elderly.
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Evans’ proclamation was never legal since it created treaty rights and federal Indian law, Polis stated on the Capitol steps Tuesday as he signed his executive order.
“It also directly contradicted the Colorado Constitution, the United States Constitution and Colorado criminal codes at the time,” said the Democratic governor to applause from the audience.
Polis was joined by residents of the Southern Ute, Ute Mountain, Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes, many of whom were dressed in traditional garb. “Recognize Indigenous knowledge, people, and land” and “Decolonize to Survive” were among the signs held by several.
Previous executive director of the Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs under former Gov. John Hickenlooper, Ernest House Jr., said Polis’ order is critical to the state’s government-to-government interactions with tribes, as well as acknowledging history and moving toward reconciliation.
“I think there’s oftentimes the general community think of American Indians as the vanishing race, the vanishing people. And I think it starts with things like this,” House, a member of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, expressed his thoughts. “It gives us a place that we were important and that our lives were important.”
In the aftermath of George Floyd’s death at the hands of police, there has been a broader drive for reconciliation and racial reckoning across the United States, including initiatives to remove Confederate monuments and sculptures commemorating slave traffickers, colonists, conquerors, and others. Native American mascots are prohibited in some places, including Colorado.
This initiative, combined with growing interest in Evans’ history, inspired Polis to form an advisory council to consider name modifications for the Front Range’s tallest peak, known as “Mount Evans.”
Source: Colorado Governor Overturns an 1864 Order to Kill Native Americans
