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Do you know what is happening in the Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area? Find event summaries, press releases, community partnerships and more news updates about the heritage area.

Aug 27
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“Lifting Voices from the Shadows” – Fay Soldier Wolf interview

By News, Video

The “Lifting Voices from the Shadows” project is an opportunity for Northern Arapaho women, like Fay Soldier Wolf featured in this video, to share their personal experiences with voting, both past and present.

The project is funded by a “Women in Parks Innovation and Impact” grant from the National Park Foundation (NPF). The goal of the grant “is to support projects and programs that help the NPS share a more comprehensive American narrative that includes the voices of women.” In particular, the initiative is meant to raise awareness of the 19th Amendment’s centennial this year and to “highlight stories of women who continue to shape the world.” However, Indigenous women did not gain the right to vote in 1920. It was not until the Snyder Act passed in 1924 that Indigenous Americans earned their full U.S. citizenship, though some states continued to deny Indigenous Americans their enfranchisement as late as 1962.

Learn more about the Poudre Heritage Alliance and the “Lifting Voices from the Shadows” project at: https://poudreheritage.org/lifting-voices/ 
Aug 18
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Press Release: To Commemorate the Centennial of the 19th Amendment, Poudre Heritage Alliance Receives Women in Parks Grant from the National Park Foundation

By News

NEWS RELEASE

August 18, 2020

For immediate release; for more information, contact:

 

Megan Maiolo-Heath, Communications Coordinator

Poudre Heritage Alliance

970.295.4851

communications@poudreheritage.org

 

 To Commemorate the Centennial of the 19th Amendment, Poudre Heritage Alliance Receives Women in Parks Grant from the National Park Foundation

 

[Fort Collins, CO] (August 18, 2020) – To commemorate the centennial of the 19th amendment, which prohibited states from denying the vote on the basis of sex, and recognize centuries of under recognized sacrifices and contributions to the U.S. made by women, including Black women, Indigenous women and all women of color, the National Park Foundation (NPF) announced more than 20 inaugural grants through its Women in Parks initiative. These grants will fund projects highlighting women’s stories at national parks across the country, including “Lifting Voices from the Shadows” oral history project with women from the Northern Arapaho Tribe. You can view a complete list of NPF-funded projects here.

 

The Poudre Heritage Alliance’s “Lifting Voices from the Shadows” project is recording oral histories from Northern Arapaho women to create online content like short educational videos and future programming like guided walks, talks and special events. This includes a recent webinar that acknowledges what citizenship means for Indigenous women who were not among the women granted the right to vote through the 19th Amendment and how that still resonates today.

 

“We have women here who are willing to share their stories, share their information, share their experiences and their perspectives,” said Yufna Soldier Wolf, Northern Arapaho tribal historian and partner on the Lifting Voices project. “I don’t think this has ever done before for any of the women on the reservation.”

 

New research released by NPF shows a gap in understanding women in U.S. history still exists. This new study found that 64 percent of the American public wish they knew more about women in U.S. history.

 

Communities across the country are interested in closing this gap, as 62 percent of those surveyed think it is extremely or very important for people to learn about women in U.S. history. Seventy-four percent indicated that it is extremely or very important that national parks connect people to history.

 

“The National Park Service offers unique opportunities to learn about women’s important contributions and how even their silent and diverse everyday lives formed the foundations of America,” said National Park Service Chief Historian Dr. Turkiya Lowe. “Parks are spaces to ask complex questions about the history of the United States, including, ‘Did all women obtain full voting rights after the passage of the 19th amendment?’ ‘And, if not, which women and where?’”

 

The Women in Parks grants support a range of projects that will highlight the contributions women have made to our country and the role they continue to play in our ever-evolving narrative.

 

“Every park has a connection to women that can inspire current and future generations,” said NPF President and CEO Will Shafroth. “The National Park Foundation and our donors, who played a key role in inspiring the launch of our Women in Parks initiative last year, are thrilled to make stories about women’s contributions to our country, past and present, accessible to all people through parks and online.”

 

NPF’s Women in Parks initiative is inspired by the National Park Service’s commemoration for the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment and the bipartisan Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission (S.847). Launched in June 2019, Women in Parks is part of the NPF’s ongoing efforts to help expand the stories and perspectives shared through national parks. The initiative will continue throughout 2020 and beyond.

 

“The centennial of the 19th Amendment is an extraordinary opportunity to strengthen knowledge, research and outreach efforts related to the impact of women in all aspects of U.S. history,” said Margaret Everson, Counselor to the Secretary, exercising the delegated authority of the National Park Service Director. “This partnership will enable national parks to tell a more complete and compelling story of the history of our nation.”

 

From local philanthropic organizations and friends groups, to community-based organizations, national park and program partners are key collaborators in preserving women’s history and making it accessible to all people. In addition, just like the parks themselves, every partner group has a connection to women.

 

Individuals, foundations, and companies can support the National Park Foundation’s efforts to ensure that women’s history in the United States is shared, preserved, and leveraged to inspire current and future generations by visiting the NPF website.

 

ABOUT THE CACHE LA POUDRE RIVER NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA AND THE POUDRE HERITAGE ALLIANCE

 

The Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area (CALA), a 45-mile stretch of the Lower Poudre River, tells the story of the river where Western Water Law took shape and how the river still informs the use of water throughout the arid West today.  CALA’s 501(c)3 nonprofit managing entity – the Poudre Heritage Alliance – PROMOTES a variety of historical and cultural opportunities; ENGAGES people in their river corridor; and INSPIRES learning, preservation, and stewardship. Find out more at:  https://poudreheritage.org/

 

ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION

The National Park Foundation is the official charity of America’s national parks and nonprofit partner to the National Park Service. Chartered by Congress in 1967, the National Park Foundation raises private funds to help protect more than 84 million acres of national parks through critical conservation and preservation efforts and connect all Americans with their incomparable natural landscapes, vibrant culture, and rich history. Find out more and become a part of the national park community at www.nationalparks.org.

 

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Aug 17
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Poudre RiverFest Going Virtual – Aug 24-29, 2020

By News

Join us for the VIRTUAL Poudre RiverFest!

You’re invited to virtually experience and celebrate the Cache la Poudre River during the Poudre RiverFest starting Monday, August 24th thru Saturday, August 29th. This six-day event will feature a variety of programming including Family Fun activities, Lunch and Learn sessions, Explore the Poudre River content and streamed Live Entertainment every day.

Poudre RiverFest is a free, family-friendly festival that celebrates the Poudre River, promotes restoration, and educates people about our river corridor, an important natural resource in our community. The festival features hands-on activities for children and adults to explore the role of the river as an important habitat for wildlife, a lively recreation area, and a source for clean drinking water.

Visit our virtual programming to create your own customized Poudre RiverFest calendar.

Proceeds from the Poudre RiverFest go to support restoration projects on the Cache la Poudre River. Join us in our restoration mission by donating today!

 

Festival organizers include:

Aug 03
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Happy National Women’s Suffrage Month!

By News

Photo: Yufna Soldier Wolf, member of the Northern Arapaho Tribe and tribal historian, is partnering with the Poudre Heritage Alliance to help collect oral histories from Northern Arapaho women.

Happy National Women’s Suffrage Month! August 2020 marks 100 years since the 19th Amendment was ratified, granting women the right to vote. However, not all women received the right to vote in 1920. It was not until the Snyder Act passed in 1924 that Indigenous women earned their full U.S. citizenship, though some states continued to deny Indigenous Americans their enfranchisement as late as 1962.

Click here to see the full calendar of events from the Women’s Vote Centennial.

The Poudre Heritage Alliance (PHA), nonprofit managing entity of the Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area (CALA), is currently collaborating with Colorado State University’s Native American Cultural Center, the National Heritage Areas Program, and the Northern Arapaho tribe to compile stories from Northern Arapaho women.

The Northern Arapaho lived in the Cache la Poudre River basin for centuries before the United States military forcibly removed the tribe to Wyoming in the 1870s. It is vital that Northern Colorado communities learn the stories of the people whose historic and spiritual homeland is the Cache la Poudre River. Doing so can help people properly understand the complicated history and ecology of the region.

The involved organizations hope that the “Lifting Voices from the Shadows” project will strengthen partnerships, build the PHA’s education and interpretation program, and connect people to their collective Poudre River heritage.

Other resources:

Gertrude Simmons Bonnin (Zitkala-Ša): Advocate for the “Indian Vote” by Cathleen D. Cahill

Marie Louise Bottineau Baldwin – Profile by the National Park Service

From Parlors to Polling Places: Women’s Suffrage in Fort Collins – Research report and virtual walking tour from the City of Fort Collins Historic Preservation Office

Jul 16
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Upcoming Webinar: After 100 Years Native Women Still Face Barriers Voting as First Americans

By News

This year many will celebrate the 100th anniversary of women’s right to vote with the 19th Amendment. Passed by Congress in August of 1920, this amendment ended nearly 100 years of protest by guaranteeing women the right to vote. However, it did not grant all women the right to vote. Women of color, and specifically Native American women, were excluded from the protections of the 19th Amendment. Barriers to this right continue even to this day. In this panel, featuring all Native American women, we will be discussing how Native peoples were denied the right to citizenship and voting rights, and how the legacies of these injustices are still impacting Native communities today.

To register please visit: https://bit.ly/liftingvoiceszoom1

This webinar is part of the “Lifting Voices from the Shadows” oral history project, funded by the National Park Foundation and in partnership with the Native American Cultural Center at Colorado State University, the Northern Arapaho Tribe, and the National Heritage Areas Program.

Jul 01
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Learning in Our Watershed Solo Field Trips – Call for Educators!

By News
To Our Local Educators:

Even if classrooms or buses are closed this school year due to the pandemic, the Poudre Heritage Alliance still wants local students to have the opportunity to explore the history and environment of the Cache la Poudre River Heritage Area, but we need your help!

We are looking to hire four educators to develop curriculum for self-guided field trips along the Poudre Trail. Any K-12 educators in Weld and Larimer Counties are welcome to apply. Each educator will receive a stipend of $1,000.

Please see the attached flyer or visit the Learning in Our Watershed page for more information about the solo field trip program and how to apply. Applications are due on Friday, July 10. Feel free to share this opportunity with any other educators who you think might be interested.
If you have any questions, please contact Vanessa Selwyn at admin@poudreheritage.org.

 

Jun 29
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New Heritage Trail Connects Sites Throughout the Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area, Starting with Poudre River Whitewater Park

By News

(Pictured: Bikers on the Poudre River Trail ride past the new Heritage Trail Gateway located at the Poudre River Whitewater Park in Fort Collins, Colorado.)

The Poudre Heritage Alliance (PHA), managing nonprofit of the Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area (CALA), is excited to announce the recent installation of the first marker and gateway of their new Heritage Trail. The marker and gateway are located at the Poudre River Whitewater Park in Old Town Fort Collins.

The Heritage Trail incorporates a coordinated family of interpretive signs, markers and gateways that will be used throughout the Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area, drawing attention to and educating trail users about interesting and ingenious ways that humans have interacted and worked with the Poudre River to improve life on the high plains of Colorado. The Heritage Trail will highlight six main themes related to water and the Poudre River: Water for Agriculture, Water for Industry, Water for Recreation, Water for History, Water for Education, and Water for Nature.

The Heritage Trail program will also serve to connect town sites and neighborhoods, businesses, historic structures, natural areas, and recreational opportunities, such as the Whitewater Park, that are within or adjacent to the Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area. The CALA extends 45 miles through Larimer and Weld counties, and through towns and cities such as Bellvue, Fort Collins, Windsor, Timnath and Greeley.

poudre whitewater park

The new Heritage Trail marker at the whitewater park speaks to the history of the Coy Ditch and Diversion Structure and how it relates to water for agriculture, recreation and industry.

This first Heritage Trail marker and gateway, located at the Poudre River Whitewater Park, speak to the history and importance of the Coy Ditch headgate and diversion structure, which led to the first in-channel water right in Colorado. This type of water right supports “in-channel” river recreation, such as kayaking, as a beneficial use within Colorado’s Doctrine of Prior Appropriations. The site is also important to the history of Water for Agriculture and Water for Industry, with the CSU Powerhouse overlooking the park and the Coy headgate still intact. The marker and gateway include QR codes connecting visitors to additional online resources about these sites.

The Poudre Heritage Alliance worked closely with the Downtown Development Authority (DDA), who helped to fund the project as part of their 5-year investment plan (2016-2020). In addition, PHA worked with the City of Fort Collins Parks & Planning and Art in Public Places (APP) departments to design and install this first Heritage Trail Gateway (located on the south side of the bridge across from the wave shelter) and second, smaller informational marker (located on the north side of the bridge).

Jun 08
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Intern Spotlight: Leslie Moore

By News

We are excited to welcome Leslie Moore to our staff as a program intern! Leslie comes to us through the Stewards Program run by Conservation Legacy,  which “provides individuals with service and career opportunities to strengthen communities and preserve our natural resources.”  Leslie will be working on several programs and projects with PHA, including Learning in Our Watershed, Heritage Culturalist Volunteers, Lifting Voices from the Shadows oral history project, and the Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area Strategic Interpretive Plan.  Here is a bit about Leslie in her own words:

Leslie MooreI grew up in a large family just outside of Baltimore before moving to Minnesota to attend Carleton College where I studied history and spent my summers canoeing in the Boundary Waters. After graduation I began working for the Minnesota Historical Society as an interpreter at a living history farm. I spent those three years developing and leading fieldtrip programs and learning how to drive oxen, which is not easy in a nineteenth-century dress! Once I got tired of wearing a bonnet every day, I moved to Fort Collins to pursue a master’s degree in history with a concentration in historic preservation at Colorado State University. I graduated this May and am very excited to be interning with an organization that strengthens local communities by conserving and educating about nearby cultural and natural resources. If you are interested in my historical research, you can read the report I recently wrote for the City of Fort Collins about the local women’s suffrage movement.

Jun 02
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Interview: “Lifting Voice from the Shadows” Oral History Project

By News, Video

The Poudre Heritage Alliance (PHA), nonprofit managing entity of the Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area (CALA), is collaborating with the Northern Arapaho tribe, Colorado State University’s Native American Cultural Center, and the National Heritage Areas Program to compile stories from Northern Arapaho women.

PHA Executive Director, Kathleen Benedict, interviewed Yufna Soldier Wolf of the Northern Arapaho Tribe in Wind River, Wyoming, to introduce the project and discuss why it is important to record the stories of Northern Arapaho women.

The Northern Arapaho lived in the Cache la Poudre River basin for centuries before the United States military forcibly removed the tribe to Wyoming in the 1870s. It is vital that Northern Colorado communities learn the stories of the people whose historic and spiritual homeland is the Cache la Poudre River. Doing so can help people properly understand the complicated history and ecology of the region. The involved organizations hope that the “Lifting Voices from the Shadows” project will strengthen partnerships, build the PHA’s education and interpretation program, and connect people to their collective Poudre River heritage.

The project is funded by a $25,000 “Women in Parks Innovation and Impact” grant from the National Park Foundation (NPF). The goal of the grant “is to support projects and programs that help the NPS share a more comprehensive American narrative that includes the voices of women.” In particular, the initiative is meant to raise awareness of the 19th Amendment’s centennial this year and to “highlight stories of women who continue to shape the world.” However, as Benedict and Soldier Wolf discuss in the video, Indigenous women did not gain the right to vote in 1920. It was not until the Snyder Act passed in 1924 that Indigenous Americans earned their full U.S. citizenship, though some states continued to deny Indigenous Americans their enfranchisement as late as 1962.

The “Lifting Voices from the Shadows” project is an opportunity for Northern Arapaho women to share their personal experiences with voting and address contemporary issues in a respectful and professional context. Soldier Wolf believes this is the first opportunity that Northern Arapaho women have had to share their stories with the public. The PHA will record 8-12 women’s oral histories in the coming months. Thanks to the grant support, the organization will also create educational videos and interpretive materials, and share relevant content about the promises and failures of the 19th Amendment.

The Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area is treasured by a community that values it for a variety of recreational activities and the tranquility of a natural corridor, while also depending on it as a water source for municipal, industrial, and agricultural uses. A wide range of cultural perspectives form our rich Poudre River heritage. This project will help the PHA present creative and balanced interpretation representing the variety of cultures that make up our river corridor and helping citizens find a sense of place and continuity in a rapidly changing world.

To stay up-to-date on events and information related to this project please visit: https://poudreheritage.org/lifting-voices/

May 21
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Guest Blog: PHA Grant Helps Give UNC Students Practical Skills & Experience in Water Quality Monitoring

By News

by Alexi Richmond, UNC Undergraduate in Earth Sciences (Class of 2020)

The opportunity to do field work in an undergrad degree is varied and not many students get to assist in research or field work unless it is a requirement of a class. I have been really fortunate to assist my professor this past year and help set up a baseline analysis for future long-term monitoring of the Poudre River in Greeley.

Through this I have learned more skills/practical experience than my whole undergraduate degree combined. I’ve gotten to use devices I never even thought of using such as an GPS, RTK, Flow Meter and of course processing data with Excel. I didn’t realize there was equipment that could calculate such things as measuring cross sections in not only latitude and longitude but as well as elevation so we could see a horizontal view. I also didn’t realize there was such a thing as a flow meter in which it measures the discharge of water; an entire volume of water that moves every second! In class, we had calculated relative discharge with a ping pong ball and a stopwatch and at the time I thought that was just how you took measurements but using the flow meter was a whole other story. It is so much more accurate and it calculates discharge for you which is amazing. It gave me a different perspective on water movement and I feel seeing and doing it first hand I understand the importance of the Poudre River better with how much discharge is even at low flow times.

Throughout this entire project I have come to better understand my local river system and its importance to Northern Colorado. Using equipment has also given me a new perspective through finding how much fun and important collecting data on major rivers can be; possibly giving me a new direction with my degree. I can’t express how grateful I feel to be able to gain skills and experience using real equipment while being able to participate in research, all in my undergrad degree.

River Bluffs Open Space in Windsor, CO is one of the study sites for the UNC Water Quality Monitoring Project on the Poudre River.

 

About the PHA Grant – “UNC Water Quality Monitoring Project”

The lower Poudre River has experienced long-term channel changes associated with land-use practices and flow regulation. At River Bluffs Open Space, Larimer County has partnered with the Coalition for the Poudre River Watershed to hire Stillwater Sciences to restore a 5 km section of river reach. Goals include reconnecting the river with its floodplain and increasing disturbance, good for habitat development. At the Poudre Learning Center (PLC), the PLC has acquisitioned new land adjacent to the river. The PLC plans to use the property for research, education, outreach, and as community open space. PI and collaborators have installed water-quality monitoring equipment, including turbidity that measures water clarity―a proxy for fine sediment suspension―at each site. Comparing the dynamics of fine-sediment at these two sites provides the opportunity to link information about how two contrasting stream reaches are changing through time as a result of differential influences.

The project takes place at River Bluffs Open Space (Larimer County) and the Poudre Learning Center (Weld County). Fine-sediment dynamics influence channel adjustments that can cause flooding or harm aquatic habitat, and is therefore considered a pollutant under the US Clean Water Act. Project goals include 1) training students in water quality measurements and analysis; 2) establishing long-term monitoring stations at two contrasting Poudre River reaches; 3) using water-quality data to understand dynamics of fine sediment; 4) sharing data and results with stakeholders and the community to increase awareness of linkages between land-use/management and river health. This project contributes to PHA’s vision of placing our water management heritage in the context of current management challenges, including multiple stakeholders and uses.

To learn more about the Poudre Heritage Alliance Grant Program and grant award history please visit: https://poudreheritage.org/grant-award-history/

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