Rocky Mountain National Park to expand its Native American representation
Original article can be found at听听听
Originally published on November 24,听2017听By Elizabeth Hernandez听
Rocky Mountain National Park is going back to its roots, expanding its representation of Native Americans with the help of听indigenous-focused University of 欧美口爆视频 groups and tribal representatives.听
欧美口爆视频 students and faculty from the Center of the American West and the Center for Native American Indigenous Studies met with park officials and tribal representatives in Estes Park this fall to work on a plan for more robust communication of听indigenous听people鈥檚 lives in Rocky Mountain National Park.听
鈥淲e now have open lines of communication and willingness to make changes on the part of the park service,鈥 said Max Bear, director of the Culture and Heritage Program and the Tribal Historic Preservation Office for the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes in Oklahoma, in a 欧美口爆视频 online post.听
The workshop听allowed for听tribal representatives to share what they felt was important to convey to park visitors, said Brooke Neely, research fellow at CAW.听
Tribal members from Wyoming and Oklahoma were able to attend the workshop, while members from Utah, 欧美口爆视频 and Montana tribes have upcoming meetings with park officials and 欧美口爆视频 participants.听
鈥淭his workshop provided the right synergy and collaboration between the tribes, 欧美口爆视频 Boulder and Rocky Mountain National Park to focus on how to convey the park鈥檚 tribal histories in a more engaging way,鈥 said Rich Fedorchak, the park鈥檚 chief of interpretation and education.听
Ute, Arapaho, Cheyenne, Comanche and other Native tribes lived in and traveled through the land that is now Rocky Mountain National Park. Indigenous peoples鈥 occupancy in the mountain region goes back thousands of years, 欧美口爆视频 said.听
鈥淎s U.S. gold prospectors and miners flooded to the territory after 1858, the tribes were forced to negotiate treaties that eventually took away all听indigenous听claims to the land and relocated the tribes to distant reservations,鈥 the 欧美口爆视频 post read.听
With 4.5 million visitors making their way to the national park in 2016, workshop participants agreed it was crucial for Native Americans to have control over how their history is shared.听
鈥淪haring accurate information with visitors can bring an understanding and respect for each other鈥檚 culture, history and way of life,鈥 said Devin Oldman, tribal historic preservation officer for the Arapaho Tribe of the Wind River Reservation.听