DENVER — With the stroke of a pen — or as these things go, multiple pens — Gov. Jared Polis Tuesday made amends for the wrongs committed by one of his predecessors and repealed two executive orders, including one that called on Colorado citizens to "kill and destroy ... hostile Indians."
Second Territorial Gov. John Evans issued those proclamations in June and August of 1864. According to Polis' executive order, that led to the events of Nov. 29, 1864, when 675 volunteer soldiers under the command of Col. John Chivington attacked a peaceful gathering of Cheyenne and Arapaho women, children and elders, slaughtering 230 of them.
When word of the atrocities reached Washington, D.C., President Andrew Johnson demanded and obtained Evans' resignation as governor.
Two years ago, Rick Williams of Broomfield, who is a Lakota Cheyenne elder, was researching a great-great grandfather who was a Dog Soldier, and stumbled across the proclamations. He asked around to see if the proclamations had ever been rescinded, and reached out to Rep. Adrienne Benavidez, who has championed some of the bills in the past to address Native peoples' grievances over Indian mascots and Columbus Day (now Frances Cabrini Day). Benavidez is also a member of the state's geographic naming board that is currently reviewing proposed name changes to geographic landmarks, including Mt. Evans.
Read more at ColoradoPolitics.com.
> Top stories curated daily just for you! Sign up for the 9NEWSLETTER to get can’t-miss stories, Next and Broncos content, weather and more delivered right to your inbox.
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Local stories from 9NEWS
MORE WAYS TO GET 9NEWS
Subscribe to our daily 9NEWSLETTER
Download the 9NEWS APP
iTunes: http://on9news.tv/itunes
Google Play: http://on9news.tv/1lWnC5n
HOW TO ADD THE 9NEWS APP TO YOUR STREAMING DEVICE
ROKU: add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching for KUSA.
For both Apple TV and Fire TV, search for "9news" to find the free app to add to your account. Another option for Fire TV is to have the app delivered directly to your Fire TV through Amazon.