Chief Niwot, UNESCO International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples 2021 Collaboration - 8/9/2021 -
May I tell you of Chief Niwot of the Arapaho, peacemaker and betrayed of the plains peoples. Here on the beautiful foothills of Boulder Colorado, we sit on the homelands of the Arapaho, First Nations People. I feel Chief Niwot still watching over this valley, indeed a town bears his actual name, a main street his tribe, and "Left Hand", the literal translation, appears everywhere.
Who is Niwot???
Incidentally, historians admit we have no photos of Niwot. All representations of him, including this one, are amalgams.
To paraphrase local sources, Chief Niwot was a Peacemaker. Settlers were moving into the area, and he was one of the local people who learned English, and tried to smooth growing differences. More and more land was being outright stolen by 'law' that allowed whites to take whatever land thy wished, settled or not. The Arapaho elders struggled tirelessly to keep the peace, convinced violence would only hasten their end.
The tribes rally at Fort Lyon, while Niwot campaigns with friendly whites for support. The military informs Colorado Calvary Officer that the tries are friendly, but he opens fire anyway. Over 100, mostly women and children, were later to become known as the Sand Creek Massacre. Niwot was injured and died later, refusing to take up arms even to the very end.
As a person with roots in whiteness, I had real trouble taking part in this wonderful collaboration. I have been to the actual massacre site, and it overwhelmed me to baffled tears as I was ignorant of the significance of the place at the time. Through some deep, nasty, recent calcination I have come to realize that it is part of my ancestral debt to use this voice of mine to bring knowledge and action to a tragedy that is *STILL HAPPENING*. We must Act
First Nations Peoples experience poverty, hunger, and homelessness more than any other group. Any close look at conditions on 90%+ of reservations lands would reveal situations you would not believe of a 3rd world county. No water. No sewer. No services of any kind. All while Boulder County is one of the wealthiest communities in America.
Oh yes, Chief Niwot watches the valley....
He says This Must End. I, Heather, support Reparations, the recognition of the United States' First Worlds Peoples as genocide survivors, and all that entails. And, as of March 2021 there is a Petition from the Arapaho/Cheyenne Tribes to the State of Colorado to not only remove the name of Evans from the peak that bears it, but to also to make good on individual payments and land deeds to survivors promised in Treaty and never made. I am hopeful for this small goal.
But I realize this is a far cry from what feels doable by you, the individual.
This Collaboration is in celebration of UNESCO's International Day of the World's Indigenous People, August 9th. It may seem big, and scary, and so far beyond any one of us. But that is an illusion. Making a difference is only a online search away. Most local tribes have their own websites, programs, and projects you can Get Involved in.
For example, here is a link to the Official Cheyenne/Arapaho page. They are doing some pretty cool stuff...
https://cheyenneandarapaho-nsn.gov/programs/
If you would like to read more about Chief Niwot
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_Niwot
or read about the great stuff they are doing at UNSECO
https://en.unesco.org/
If you would like to see the entire Collaboration of incredible sugar art from Tribal Cultures around the world,
by Artists from Around the World:
https://www.facebook.com/Tribalculturearoundtheworldcakecollaboration
If you would like to see more of this Art in progress, including the full sculpting Video of the bas-relief Niwot, please come join me on my private audience Patreon Page, Beyond the Fondant:
https://www.patreon.com/art2eatcakes
Huge thanks to Caljava Fondx, Magic Colours airbrush tints, The Cake Collective and Aaisha Sumbul, for a great collaboration!"
May I tell you of Chief Niwot of the Arapaho, peacemaker and betrayed of the plains peoples. Here on the beautiful foothills of Boulder Colorado, we sit on the homelands of the Arapaho, First Nations People. I feel Chief Niwot still watching over this valley, indeed a town bears his actual name, a main street his tribe, and "Left Hand", the literal translation, appears everywhere.
Who is Niwot???
Incidentally, historians admit we have no photos of Niwot. All representations of him, including this one, are amalgams.
To paraphrase local sources, Chief Niwot was a Peacemaker. Settlers were moving into the area, and he was one of the local people who learned English, and tried to smooth growing differences. More and more land was being outright stolen by 'law' that allowed whites to take whatever land thy wished, settled or not. The Arapaho elders struggled tirelessly to keep the peace, convinced violence would only hasten their end.
The tribes rally at Fort Lyon, while Niwot campaigns with friendly whites for support. The military informs Colorado Calvary Officer that the tries are friendly, but he opens fire anyway. Over 100, mostly women and children, were later to become known as the Sand Creek Massacre. Niwot was injured and died later, refusing to take up arms even to the very end.
As a person with roots in whiteness, I had real trouble taking part in this wonderful collaboration. I have been to the actual massacre site, and it overwhelmed me to baffled tears as I was ignorant of the significance of the place at the time. Through some deep, nasty, recent calcination I have come to realize that it is part of my ancestral debt to use this voice of mine to bring knowledge and action to a tragedy that is *STILL HAPPENING*. We must Act
First Nations Peoples experience poverty, hunger, and homelessness more than any other group. Any close look at conditions on 90%+ of reservations lands would reveal situations you would not believe of a 3rd world county. No water. No sewer. No services of any kind. All while Boulder County is one of the wealthiest communities in America.
Oh yes, Chief Niwot watches the valley....
He says This Must End. I, Heather, support Reparations, the recognition of the United States' First Worlds Peoples as genocide survivors, and all that entails. And, as of March 2021 there is a Petition from the Arapaho/Cheyenne Tribes to the State of Colorado to not only remove the name of Evans from the peak that bears it, but to also to make good on individual payments and land deeds to survivors promised in Treaty and never made. I am hopeful for this small goal.
But I realize this is a far cry from what feels doable by you, the individual.
This Collaboration is in celebration of UNESCO's International Day of the World's Indigenous People, August 9th. It may seem big, and scary, and so far beyond any one of us. But that is an illusion. Making a difference is only a online search away. Most local tribes have their own websites, programs, and projects you can Get Involved in.
For example, here is a link to the Official Cheyenne/Arapaho page. They are doing some pretty cool stuff...
https://cheyenneandarapaho-nsn.gov/programs/
If you would like to read more about Chief Niwot
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_Niwot
or read about the great stuff they are doing at UNSECO
https://en.unesco.org/
If you would like to see the entire Collaboration of incredible sugar art from Tribal Cultures around the world,
by Artists from Around the World:
https://www.facebook.com/Tribalculturearoundtheworldcakecollaboration
If you would like to see more of this Art in progress, including the full sculpting Video of the bas-relief Niwot, please come join me on my private audience Patreon Page, Beyond the Fondant:
https://www.patreon.com/art2eatcakes
Huge thanks to Caljava Fondx, Magic Colours airbrush tints, The Cake Collective and Aaisha Sumbul, for a great collaboration!"
If you would like to see more of this Art in progress, including the full sculpting Video of the bas-relief Niwot, please come join me on my private audience Patreon Page, Beyond the Fondant:
https://www.patreon.com/art2eatcakes
https://www.patreon.com/art2eatcakes
<3 - Check out some of my Journeybooks / Video Tutorials / Coloring Books -- <3
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