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Just Add Water: Pre-settlement Water, Land, People Relationships in the Poudre River Valley

By Stories

The Poudre River’s recorded history, prior to gold seekers and settlers arriving in the late 1850s and early 1860s, is scarce.  There were fur trappers’ and explorers’ writings of the area, but these were very limited regarding the Poudre River.  It was during this period that the river obtained its name, but the exact reasons and timing are uncertain.  It is generally agreed that fur traders/trappers needed to stash some of their supplies (including gun powder – in French it becomes ‘Cache la Poudre’), for a short time, during the 1820s or 1830s, for some reason, and the river was named for this action. 

As gold seekers and settlers encountered the Poudre River Valley in the mid-1800s, I often wonder what they saw.  We know that the river today is not like the natural stream before it was adapted to support permanent settlement of large numbers of people.   

Before permanent settlement in the Poudre River valley, the river meandered in a shallow, braided fashion through the bottomlands.  Each spring, runoff flooded (i.e. ‘irrigated’) the valley bottomlands in such a manner that there was an excellent stand of native grasses growing across the valley floor from the mouth of the canyon to the mouth of the river, east of Greeley.  One place, open to the public, to visualize this low, flat, bottomlands is the Arapaho Bends Natural Area.  As you stand near the remains of the Strauss Cabin, you can gaze across the valley floor (removing Rigden Reservoir from visualization) toward the west and see the bluff with Ziegler Road on top.  Look east to the bluff where I-25 is now located with the town of Timnath on the east side of the interstate.  Looking upstream the valley widens as the Box Elder Creek enters the Poudre River.  Imagine the entire bottomland area covered with native grasses and trees growing along the river meandering through the valley. 

The lushness of grasses drew buffalo into the valley.  It becomes rather obvious why the Native Americans used the area to camp – food, water, fuel – all in abundance.  Just north of the Strauss Cabin, across the railroad tracks, is where the Council Tree was located.  Large numbers of Native Americans could camp in the vicinity to ‘Council’, as the early setters called Native American gatherings, – i.e. transact business, socialize, and conduct ceremonies – while living comfortably on the resources provided by the river. 

This lushness did not escape the attention of earlier settlers to the area.  George Strauss (1858) and Benjamin Eaton (1859), traveling through the area on other missions, noted the lushness and both returned to settle in the valley when their missions were completed.  The Coy family decided to over-winter in the valley on their way to California in 1862, but did not continue their trip when spring arrived.  The Valley is a beautiful place where many people, over the years, have chosen to settle. 

The Northern Arapaho, under the leadership of ‘Chief’ Friday, were the last band of Native Americans to live/visit the Poudre River Valley, being forced out in the late 1860s.  Before leaving, they requested a reservation on the north bank of the Poudre River, on which to live, but were denied.  Friday’s band eventually was assigned to live on the Wind River Indian Reservation in central Wyoming. 


References:

Silkensen, G. 1993. South Platte River Observations: Historical Clues to the Evolution of a River’s Ecology. Published in the Proceedings of the 1992 South Platte Conference, Information Series Number 72, Colorado Water Institute, Colorado State University, pages 41-56. http://www.cwi.colostate.edu/publications/IS/72.pdf

Simmons, Marc. 2004. Friday: the Arapaho Boy – a Story from History. Children of the West Series, University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque. 

Burris, Lucy. 2006. People of the Poudre: An Ethnohistory of the Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area, AD 1500-1880. (Published through a cooperative agreement between the National Park Service, Friends of the Poudre, and the Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area)

Poudre Heritage Alliance and CSU Celebrate Native American History Month in November

By News

November is Native American Month, and there will be a variety of events taking place on CSU’s campus hosted by the Native American Cultural Center and many other organizations.

In the meantime, be sure to check out PHA’s video archive and Northern Arapaho Video series release. (Featured picture showcases representatives from the City of Fort Collins, the Poudre Heritage Alliance, and tribal elders for the Northern Arapaho at a sign unveiling in Arapaho Bend Natural Area.)

Events

Wednesday, Nov. 1

Indigenous Speaker Series Presents: Cherokee Nation v. Nash — A Case of Treaty Interpretation and Tribal Self-Determination

Guest Speaker: Ron Hall,  5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Morgan Library Great Hall. 

Ron Hall is the president of Bubar & Hall Consulting, LLC, a consulting firm that supports tribal self-determination and engagement. Hall will engage in a conversation around Native law and policy, specifically related to the recent federal court decision between the Cherokee Nation and the Cherokee Freedmen.

Thursday, Nov. 2

Pow Wow 101, 5:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in Eddy Hall room 100.

Pow Wow is a wonderful way to remember and celebrate heritage, culture and traditions among Native Americans. Join local resident Jan Iron, who will explain the basics of Pow Wow, including an overview of the day’s events and celebration.

Friday, Nov. 3

Fry Bread Sale, Drum Group and Pow Wow Dance Expo, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the LSC Sutherland Garden, (west side of the Lory Student Center), Colorado State University.

To celebrate Native American Heritage Month and the 35th Annual AISES Pow Wow, drum groups and dancers will provide performances. Fry bread will also be sold at this event.

Saturday, Nov. 4

Colorado State University’s 35th Annual AISES Pow Wow.

Gourd Dance — 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

  • Pow Wow 1 p.m. to 10 p.m.
  • Grand Entry 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.
  • Pow Wow Feed 5 p.m.

Host Northern Drum: Young Bear; Host Southern Drum: Southern Style. Lory Student Center Grand Ballrooms at CSU.

In an effort to increase awareness of Native cultures at CSU, the Native American Cultural Center, American Indian Science and Engineering Society, Associated Students of Colorado State University and Colorado State University will sponsor the 35th Annual CSU Pow Wow. Community members and student alike are welcome and encouraged to attend this free event, which will feature Pow Wow dancers, drum groups, food, vendors, social events and more.

Tuesday, Nov. 7

Duhesa Art Gallery Reception, Aasgutú ádi (Forest Creatures). Featuring comments from the artists Crystal Worl and Jennifer Younger.

4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the Lory Student Center Duhesa Gallery.

The title of this exhibit is in the Tlingit language. The exhibit encompasses the natural beings represented in the various artworks of this exhibition, but also refers to the Tlingit people. Utilizing their experience in various art materials, Crystal Worl, Jennifer Youner and Alison Marks encourage the viewer to look at traditional art forms through different lenses. The culmination of their artwork demonstrates the subsistence on Tlingit culture into the work of contemporary artists.

Gallery walkthrough at 5:15 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 8, Thursday, Nov. 9

Aspen Grille – Featured Traditional Native American Dishes.

Do you enjoy corn, sunflower seeds, potatoes, squash and pumpkins? How about tomatoes, strawberries and chile peppers? They are all native to the Americas and have been part of the diet of Native Americans since time immemorial. Make your reservations at the LSC Aspen Grille to enjoy lunch specials prepared by Chef Ken Sysmsack that recognize these gifts to today’s cuisine.

For reservations call 970-491-7006

Thursday, Nov. 9

Open House Hosted by NACC North Star Peer Mentors

5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., Native American Cultural Center, Lory Student Center Room 327

Come meet the 2017-2018 North Star Peer Mentors while enjoying board games, a movie, and hot chocolate and apple cider. North Start Peer Mentor Program is a program of the Native American Cultural Center that matches incoming students with current students to guide the transitions to Colorado State University.

Monday, Nov. 13

Keynote Event: AWAKE: A Dream from Standing Rock documentary featuring Filmmakers: Floris White Bull & Doug Good Feather

Film begins at 6 p.m. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Lory Student Center Theatre.

AWAKE follows the dramatic rise of the historic #NoDAPL Native-led peaceful resistance at the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation near Cannon Ball, North Dakota. Thousands of activists converged from around the country to stand in solidarity with the water protectors protesting the construction of the $3.7 billion Dakota Access Pipeline. There will be a screening of the documentary, followed by a conversation with some filmmakers.

Tuesday, Nov. 14

Harvest Dinner, Community Event

6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Location: To be announced

Ron Hall and Roe Bubar, owners of Arikara Farm, worked the farm this year to engage students, family and the community to support our farm as we grew traditional food and heritage turkey to bring about the harvest for our Community Dinner. Come join in the “Indigenous Food Revolution” to learn how the earth is our teacher and food is our medicine. Arikara Farm and NACC are pleased to support this Indigenous Community Dinner.

For more information please visit www.nacc.colostate.edu or call 970-491-1332.

See the link to the original article here.

Yuma’s Heritage Area Benefits Local Recreation and Fishing

By News

This article is a good shout-out to our Heritage Area partners over there in Yuma. Keep up the good work! For the full article, click here:

Excerpt from “An Underrated Bass Fishery United This Town on the Colorado River”:

“It was 107 degrees in the September sun in Yuma, Arizona, and yet people were out bass fishing. Twenty years ago, this would not have been the case. But Yuma’s renewed focus on its river, the mighty Colorado, is an extraordinary story of diplomacy and determination that has resulted in benefits for the local economy, outdoor recreation, and Yuma’s people. I was able to witness this firsthand on a recent canoe trip through the Yuma Heritage Area’s wetlands restoration sites, through the downtown park—now vibrant after struggling in the late 20th century —to below the Ocean to Ocean (“peace”) bridge—rebuilt quite literally to bring together residents of Yuma on the river’s east bank with members of the Quechan Reservation on its west bank, with whom relations had been poor.”

Photo courtesy of J. Jakobson.

Poudre River Nonprofit Hosts Bipartisan Engagement Event for Colorado’s Federal Legislators

By News

On August 17th, 2017, the Poudre Heritage Alliance (PHA) hosted an Engagement Event with community partners and legislative staff from both sides of the aisle in an effort to showcase the importance of projects and partnerships within the Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area (CALA). At the event, six staffers from Colorado’s Democratic and Republican federal legislative offices listened to presentations from and interacted with twelve local community partners. The community partners presented six different projects and programs that PHA helps make possible through grant-funding, staff support, and stakeholder engagement.

Staff members from Congressman Ken Buck, Congressman Jared Polis, Senator Michael Bennet, and Senator Cory Gardner’s offices attended the event. They held conversations with and listened to presentations from the Poudre Fire Authority, the City of Fort Collins, Poudre Landmarks Foundation, the Greeley History Museum, Northern Colorado Rehabilitation Hospital, BHA Design, and PHA’s very own Heritage Culturalist Volunteers. During the event, community partners had five minutes each to introduce their project or program and discuss PHA’s involvement.

The Engagement Event showcased PHA’s active role in the community to the Congressional staff and reaffirmed the importance of the Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area to Northern Colorado. Projects and programs showcased at the event included PHA’s Wellness Program, the Smithsonian H20 Today Exhibit at the Greeley History Museum, the Fort Collins Water Works building restoration, the water trail project with the Poudre Fire Authority, and the Heritage Trail markers with the Fort Collins Whitewater Park.

 

For more information about PHA or CALA, please contact the Poudre Heritage Alliance Office at admin@poudreheritage.org or 970-295-4851.

Above Photo: Heritage Culturalist Volunteers with Kathleen Benedict, PHA Executive Director, and staff members from Congressman Jared Polis’ office

Nature Conservancy’s Phantom Canyon Preserve Highlights Poudre River’s Heritage

By News, Uncategorized

(Excerpt from article)

“A KEY ROLE IN HISTORY

While most visitors to the Phantom Canyon preserve come for the beauty of the landscape, few realize the historical significance around them: It was in this watershed where Western water law was born.

In the 1870s a drought led to overdrawing of the water in the Cache la Poudre River. Irrigation canals dried up, causing a dispute between two of the water users – upstream farmers near Fort Collins and downstream farmers in the Union Colony commune founded by Horace Greeley, famous for having declared, “Go West, young man!”

The issue was settled in court in favor of the first water users – the Union Colony commune – a decision that formed the bedrock principle of Western water law: “First in time, first in right.” In recognition of this, Congress declared the Cache la Poudre River a National Heritage Area*** in 1996.”

***The exact boundaries of the Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area lie to the south and east of Phantom Canyon Preserve. The Heritage Area designation begins along the eastern edge of the Roosevelt National Forest near the mouth of the Poudre Canyon and extends through 45 miles of the river until its confluence with the South Platte River east of Greeley, Colorado. It was designated as National River Corridor in 1996, and then as an official National Heritage Area in 2009.

For the full article, check out the Nature Conservancy’s website here.