Gov. Jared Polis gives opinion on proposed Mount Evans name change to Mount Blue Sky
Gov. Jared Polis has now sent a letter to the U.S. Board of Geographic names with his view on the idea of changing the name of Mount Evans. The letter, not yet public, is the last piece of information from Colorado that is being collected as the U.S. Board of Geographic Names considers a change. It follows the unanimous approval by the f15 members of Colorado's Geographic Naming Board of changing the name to Mount Blue Sky.
The idea of the name change arose several years ago from those who wished that the mountain would no longer carry the name of former territorial governor John Evans. Evans was eventually pushed out of office over his connection to the Sand Creek Massacre of approximately 150 Cheyenne and Arapaho people. While there were several possible names suggested, the Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes backed the idea of Mount Blue Sky, named for the Arapaho people.
The governor's office Thursday declined to share the governor's opinion but said it would reveal his view on the issue Friday.
Opinions on the matter have varied among locals.
"Naming it Mount Blue Sky makes a lot of sense to me. You know, naming it after the people who lived here," said Ken Slaymaker who founded Slaymaker Cellars.
"They should not rename anything. They named them that way for a purpose in the beginning on it. Whenever you rename something you're taking away the history that goes behind it too," said longtime former resident Dick Hedges.
"I definitely understand the importance of Indigenous respect in this area, especially as this place has such deep indigenous roots. It's like how do you balance that really challenging equation, there's so much rich history in this area. Not just Indigenous history but tons of history from all people who have been here for a really long time," said resident and business owner Sadie Schultz.
The U.S. Board of Geographic Names is likely to place the issue on its schedule for discussion on March 9. The board will make the final decision. In the past, the board has commonly agreed with state positions on name changes, but not always.
