CLEAR CREEK COUNTY, Colo. — Colorado's Geographic Naming Advisory Board voted unanimously Thursday to recommend renaming Mount Evans to Mount Blue Sky.
The recommendation came after months of discussion. The board heard presentations and took public comment before voting Thursday night.
Before the name change is made official, it must be approved by Gov. Jared Polis and the U.S. Board of Geographic Names.
The 14,265-foot mountain in Clear Creek County is currently named for former Colorado Territorial Governor John Evans. Evans was in office during the Sand Creek Massacre, a surprise attack where U.S. Army troops killed Native women and children. Native people have called for Evans' name to be removed from the mountain.
The board considered six proposals for renaming the mountain:
- Mount Blue Sky (submitted by the Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes)
- Mount Cheyenne-Arapaho (submitted by the Northern Cheyenne tribe)
- Mount Soule (submitted by a private party)
- Mount Rosalie (submitted by a private party)
- Mount Evans (re-designating the mountain for Anne Evans, the governor's daughter, submitted by a private party)
- Mount Sisty (submitted by a private party)
The name Mount Blue Sky pays tribute to the Arapaho tribe, also known as the Blue Sky tribe.
The 13-member Colorado Geographic Naming Board was created by an executive order from Polis in July 2020. The state board has submitted requests to the U.S. board for several name changes in Colorado.
FROM DECEMBER: Clear Creek County mountain has a new name
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