Chief Niwot (which means “Left Hand” in English) was a Southern Arapaho tribe leader who was born around 1825. He spent many winters in Boulder Valley, particularly at Valmont Butte, which is sacred to the Southern Arapaho. The Arapaho, Cheyenne, Crow, Sioux, Assiniboine, Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara nations signed the Treaty of Fort Laramie in 1851. In it, the US government accepted that much of the country between Oregon and the Rocky Mountains belonged to these tribes, and in exchange, the Native Americans agreed to let wagon trains of settlers and gold prospectors heading to California... Read More

Chief Niwot (which means “Left Hand” in English) was a leader of the Southern Arapaho tribe born around 1825. He spent a great many winters in Boulder Valley, particularly at Valmont Butte, which is considered a sacred site for the Southern Arapaho. In 1851, the United States signed the Treaty of Fort Laramie with the Arapaho, Cheyenne, Crow, Sioux, Assiniboine, Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara nations. In it, US government acknowledged that much of the land between Oregon and the Rocky Mountains belonged to these tribes and in return, the Native Americans would allow wagon trains... Read More