Dozens of Green Valley Ranch residents gathered under a sweltering summer sun to celebrate the opening of Denver’s newest public park.
But for some in the crowd, it was more than a celebration of green space — it was a rare public acknowledgment of the deep, painful history of Indigenous tribes and people native to Colorado.
Who is Amache Prowers?
The new park is named for Amache Prowers, a Cheyenne activist who lived in the 1800s, when Indigenous communities faced violence and displacement by the U.S. government.
She came to prominence after her family was killed in the Sand Creek Massacre, with Prowers later testifying in Congress to speak out against the violence.
Prowers, born with the given name Ameohtse’e, was inducted into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame in 2018.
She was highlighted for her diplomacy between the tribes, American settlers and Mexican people who crossed paths in Colorado’s southeastern plains, as well as her advocacy for Indigenous rights following the Sand Creek Massacre.
Attendees celebrated with a traditional Indigenous drum ceremony and incense blessing. The namesake’s great-granddaughter, Mary Prowers Johnson, was in attendance as Indigenous activists and city officials marked the park’s opening.
“It’s a real honor. I’m glad that I could be here,” said Prowers Johnson, who lives in the Broomfield area.
The 9-acre park has been years in the making.
The park mainly serves the Avion Metropolitan District, a development in western Green Valley Ranch.
It was built for $8 million, using a mix of public and private dollars before being turned over to Denver Parks and Recreation.
