September 29, 2005
Office of the Mayor
City and County of Denver
Denver, CO 80202
Dear Mayor John W. Hickenlooper,
Glenn Morris has served as one of the spokespeople for the American Indian Movement of Colorado and had been chosen, more often than not, to take the lead role in advancing our positions in our efforts to transform Columbus Day. On September 28, 2005, you singled out Glenn Morris to receive a letter in which you acknowledge some of the issues our chapter has previously called to your attention. Although Glenn is a respected representative of Colorado AIM, our organization makes decisions collectively. It would have been more appropriate for your letter to have been addressed to us as a group, rather than to assume that there is one “leader” with whom you should communicate. As such, the Leadership Council and the Elders’ Council of the American Indian Movement of Colorado feel compelled to respond to you.
Like you, we believe that there are constructive ways to begin a dialogue. An honest recounting of history is a necessary starting point when it comes to building trust between parties. In this case, honesty requires us to remind you that Colorado AIM has always initiated the dialogue with the Mayor’s office. In fact, Colorado AIM not only requested, but arranged meetings with you and stressed the need for a resolution to this conflict, when you were still a mayoral candidate, prior to your inauguration as mayor of Denver.
Our request to you then, as it remains now, has always been simple. We are asking you, as the Mayor of Denver, to take a moral stand against parades that celebrate an Indian killer and slave trader. As the most powerful politician in the city, and possibly the state, you are in the unique position of setting the moral tone for the community. That Columbus was personally responsible for the deaths of millions of Indians is neither our belief nor is it simply an allegation. It is a matter of historical fact. As mayor, you can act as the conscience of the city by publicly condemning the celebration of this man.
Taking such a stand is not tantamount to canceling the parade. It does not qualify as an infringement of the First Amendment rights of any party. It does not require legislation or litigation in court. All that it requires is the moral courage to make the simple statement that it is wrong to celebrate, through parades and national/state holidays, the person personally responsible for the deaths of millions of people
Former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb faced such a dilemma when the Ku Klux Klan decided to stage rallies in the streets of Denver in 1991 and 1992. Instead of trying to ignore the problem by claiming that First Amendment considerations tied his hands, Wellington Webb issued a public condemnation of these rallies. Colorado AIM remembers this act of moral courage by the former Denver Mayor, and all we have asked is for you find it within your conscience to do the same.
Your letter does acknowledge many of the criticisms that we have previously brought to your attention. The city’s sanctioning of the parade, in the form of riot cops and barricades, drains resources that could be used for more productive ends. We recognize that many communities in Denver, including the American Indian community, are in desperate need of resources. We have outlined in several proposals methods that the city can employ to avoid protests in the streets, without having to face constitutional dilemmas. To date, the city has chosen to ignore our proposals. As taxpayers, Colorado AIM has always stressed that it is unnecessary for the city to bankroll the celebration of a man who committed genocide, and whose celebration (as you admit) creates anguish in the community.
However, we must again remind the mayor about the virtue of honesty when it comes to characterizing past protests. Colorado AIM and the Transform Columbus Day Alliance (TCD) have never engaged in acts of violence. That suggestion has been driven by the local media and is nothing more than fear mongering. Colorado AIM and TCD have expressed their opposition by engaging in acts of peaceful, nonviolent, civil disobedience. Our security forces have always maintained control, despite provocations from the paraders, and are more responsible for the non-violence than are the Denver riot cops.
We also are sick and tired of this entire costly, frustrating and potentially dangerous situation that does nothing but generate ill will. Imagine what it would be like having to endure this year in and year out instead of the mere two years in which you’ve been forced to deal with it. Imagine how frustrating it would be to be subjected to historical lies in the public school system for years and years. Imagine the frustration Indian people feel, their entire lives, at having to either object to or accept the celebration of an Indian killer. Two years of this may have taken a toll on you but consider what it has done to those on the receiving end. One day, your term will end and you will no longer have to feel this frustration–Indian people do not have that option.
We have found common ground with many Italian Americans. That common ground is one of mutual respect and understanding. It’s allowed us to work together as we try and create a better future and world for our children. These people of conscience and goodwill understand that requesting the organizers drop one word–Columbus–from their march isn’t asking too much. It’s a simple act of goodwill that those in the parade refuse to consider.
Colorado AIM has consistently made the overtures for mediation in the hopes that we could find a solution to what you are now recognizing is a problem in the community. As you know, we requested a meeting with you and agreed that Glenn Morris would serve as our representative in this meeting.
According to a report from Glenn Morris, he was invited to meet with you in your office next Wednesday, October 5, 2005. Contrary to the tone and the form of your letter, this issue at hand cannot be reduced to a disagreement between individuals — Glenn Morris and George Vendegnia. The issue is much larger and more important than individuals. This struggle is between those who support the celebration of racism and those who do not. As the leader of Denver, you must make a moral decision about which side this struggle you will situate the city. Just as with Dr. King and Selma, Alabama, or Cesar Chavez and Salinas, California, city officials could not equivocate that a little bit of segregation was alright, or that a little bit of injustice to farmworkers was acceptable.
We have instructed Glenn that he is not to meet with you on behalf of Colorado AIM, on the 5th at 9 am. Instead, we invite you to come to Four Winds American Indian Center, at the corner of 5th Avenue and Bannock, to meet with the membership of Colorado AIM, as well as with members of the Transform Columbus Day Alliance. We invite you to meet from 6:30 to 7:30 pm on the 5th. We await your timely response.
For the Leadership Council of the American Indian Movement of Colorado
Leslie Andrews, Vicci Anderson, Carol Berry, Robert Chanate, Josh Dillabaugh, Mark Freeland, Brenda Jenkins, Glenn Morris, Shannon Pangani, Michelle Running Wolf, and TroyLynn Yellow Wood
For the Elder’s Council of the American Indian Movement of Colorado
Yank Bad Hand, Russell Means, Tink Tinker, and Margaret Tyon
Contact phone number: 303-832-2544
