Colorado Geographic Naming Advisory Board unanimously votes to rename Mount Evans "Mount Blue Sky"
On Thursday night, the Colorado Geographic Naming Advisory Board voted unanimously to rename Mount Evans to Mount Blue Sky. The name "Mount Blue Sky" was suggested by the Cheyenne-Arapaho tribe.
The move to change the name of Evans has been talked about for a while. The Denver American Indian Commission wrote in support of changing the name four years ago, writing "It's time to discontinue using Evans' name because we do not honor mass killing of human life for any reason. Colorado's interest in promoting inclusivity is stronger than any prior interest in honoring a man who is known for politically targeting Tribes (Utes, Cheyenne, Arapaho and Lakota) with messages of hate and fear, of which directly resulted in a massacre of over 160 people, including mostly women and children."
Evans' role in the Sand Creek Massacre eventually led to his removal as territorial governor. But the name has stood. The mountain dominates the Front Range from the Denver metro area.
The board considered six possibilities for the board: Mount Blue Sky, Mount Cheyenne-Arapaho, Mount Rosalie, Mount Sisty, and Mount Soule and Mount Evans (but named for the daughter of John Evans.)
This recommendation now moves on to Gov. Jared Polis and then to the US Board of Geographic Names for final approval.
