The Wilderness Society celebrates renamed Colorado Mountain, Mount Blue Sky  

DENVER [Sept. 15, 2023] — Responding to the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes and the Mestaa’éhehe coalition, the U.S. Board of Geographic Names today renamed a Colorado mountain previously honoring a territorial governor responsible for the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864. The U.S. Board on Geographic Names, a federal board within the U.S. Department of Interior, has the final say on all renaming of natural features on public lands. The name change is effective immediately.  

“As one of the Front Range’s stunning Fourteeners, this mountain looms large in the backdrop of the Denver skyline. Changing its name was long overdue, and I thank the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes for leading this effort,” said Jim Ramey, Colorado state director for The Wilderness Society. “Now, it’s time to finish the job by changing the name of the Mount Evans Wilderness, which no longer makes sense. Congress should act swiftly to change the name of the wilderness area so that we can all begin to learn, heal and grow together.”  

The Wilderness Society proudly supported the valiant effort by the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes and the Mestaa’éhehe coalition to change the name of Mount Evans. It took several years, countless hours of public meetings and volunteer outreach to local tribes, state and county officials, local organizations and interested citizens to finally change the name of Mount Evans to Mount Blue Sky. During the campaign, hundreds of Coloradans voiced strong support for changing the name of the mountain.  

“At The Wilderness Society, we respect Tribal Sovereignty and Tribal Consultation to the fullest. We are grateful for all of the efforts of Tribal Nations to make this much-needed renaming a reality. May the mountain be a place that no longer inflicts sorrow and grief but rather a place that brings comfort and healing,” said Native Lands Partnership Director Starlyn Miller. “Let’s hope that this is the beginning of more efforts to change the name of natural features in Colorado and elsewhere across the country which don’t reflect today’s values. Let’s continue to work together to make public lands more inclusive and welcoming to all people.”    

The new name — Mount Blue Sky — reflects the ideals of today, respects the cultures of local Indigenous peoples and honors the ancestors of the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes, hundreds who were brutally killed during the Sand Creek Massacre.  

An act of Congress is needed to change the name of Mount Evans Wilderness. There are other ongoing efforts in Colorado to change the name of mountains that commemorate historical figures who don’t represent today’s values. A petition submitted by the Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation, Southern Ute Indian Tribe, and Ute Mountain Ute Tribe to rename the Gore Range to Nuchu Range has been before the Colorado Geographic Naming Advisory Board since September 2020.  

Many local officials have supported renaming efforts in Colorado — such as Governor Polis, the Colorado Geographic Naming Advisory Committee and the Clear Creek County Board of County Commission. The Wilderness Society is grateful for their leadership and encourages them to continue to make our public lands more inclusive and welcoming to all.  

Contact: Chelsi Moy, Sr. Communications Manager, The Wilderness Society, (406) 240-3013, chelsi_moy@tws.org