The spiritual and mental strength of Indigenous women are part of what makes them pillars of their communities and beyond. They are leaders.

Tribes across Colorado are focused on preserving their cultures, including showing respect and honoring Indigenous women. In 2022 and 2023, 28 landmarks in our state – including peaks, valleys, lakes, and streams – received new names, some replacing derogatory slurs.

Mount Evans in Clear Creek County had been named after territorial Governor John Evans, who ordered the unprovoked Sand Creek Massacre of 1864, which killed around 230 Cheyenne and Arapaho, mostly women, children, and elderly.

In honor of Arapaho and Cheyenne tribes, the mountain was renamed Mount Blue Sky, which many travelers took Sq*** Pass to get to. (The S-word is a derogatory term for Indigenous women, equivalent to using the N-word to describe an African-American.)

In respect, the name of the pass has also been changed, to Mestaa’Ehehe Pass. Mestaa’Ehehe is pronounced mes-taw-HAY. It is a Cheyenne word that translates to Owl Woman. Many of the old street and landmark signs remain, but the goal is to have them all changed as soon as possible.

According to the National Park Service, Owl Woman was born around 1810, the eldest daughter of a Cheyenne tribal leader. William Bent was a trader in the early 1800s who built a trading fort (Bent’s Fort) along the Santa Fe Trail. In the mid-1830s Owl Woman and Bent married. This was a time when relations between Native Americans and white colonizers were becoming fraught.

Owl Woman is credited with helping to bridge the gap between cultures. As a translator she provided valuable insight and mediation in a very challenging time.

Colorado now has Mestaa’Ehehe Mountain and Mestaa’Ehehe Pass to honor this incredible woman.

Other places in the state are also having their names altered. From Dolores County to Eagle County, and Summit County to Hinsdale County, changes are taking place toward the end of welcoming everyone and showing respect. Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland of the Laguna Pueblo has been a force behind this shift from the time when she first ordered the Board of Geographic Names to remove derogatory and offensive terms from federal locations.

While changing offensive names in the Centennial State is not going to justify the mistreatment of Indigenous women and all Indigenous people, it is a positive start to acknowledging past mistakes. It shows a willingness to learn and work toward understanding each other today, and a hope for healing and better relations in the future.