Project Overview
The City of Boulder thanks Arapaho and Cheyenne Tribal Nations for working with the city to develop a collaborative stewardship plan for a unique city open space site with important historical, ecological and agricultural features and a direct connection to the Sand Creek Massacre.
Learn more about this unique land through an ArcGIS storymap
The city and Arapaho and Cheyenne Tribal Representatives thank community members for providing feedback on the draft concept plan, which is based on a collaborative vision to “Heal the Land, Heal the People."
Next Steps
The city will review public input on the draft concept plan and consider revisions with additional guidance from Tribal Representatives. Open Space and Mountain Parks staff anticipate presenting community feedback on the plan to the city’s Open Space Board of Trustees this summer. After the concept plan is finalized, specific plan elements will be further developed with guidance from Tribal Representatives.
The city recognizes the "Fort Chambers / Poor Farm” name is not consistent with the new vision of creating a healing and welcoming place for all. We look forward to future discussions of possible new names for future trailhead/trails with Tribal Representatives.
Draft Collaborative Concept Plan
The draft concept plan provides recommendations for how the city – with continuing guidance from Tribal Representatives – will care for land where Fort Chambers likely stood, which was near Boulder Creek east of 63rd Street and south of Jay Road.
From Aug. 28 to Sept. 16, 1864, more than 100 Boulder-area men of Company D of the Third Colorado Calvary Regiment trained at Fort Chambers. The men of Company D would later participate in the murder of 10 Cheyenne people on Oct. 9, 1864, and atrocities against peaceful Arapaho and Cheyenne Peoples promised military protection at the Sand Creek Massacre on Nov. 29, 1864.
Read more about how the city has been working to develop the concept plan in collaboration with representatives from the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, the Northern Arapaho Tribe and the Northern Cheyenne Tribe.