LOCAL FEATURE CREDIT: GILES CLASEN NATIVE AMERICAN ENCAMPMENT IS TORN DOWN AS SOS FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLE BUILDS STEAM BY GILES CLASEN IT FEELS DISCRIMINATORY Late into the night on Aug. 30, individuals packed all of their worldly belongings outside Four Winds American Indian Council while inside, others prepared for a protest. Nearly a week earlier, the City of Denver had posted notices that on Aug. 31, the City would remove all items obstructing the sidewalk and do a coordinated cleanup around the Four Winds buildings. In short, Denver planned to sweep the area of those experiencing homelessness. “It feels discriminatory,” said Mateo Parsons, a board member at Four Winds American Indian Council, who is also Apache, Yaqui, and Tarahumara. “We’re being targeted because we decided to stick up for these people and give a microphone to their voice.” The grounds of Four Winds had become a communal camping site offering safety and support for Native Americans experiencing homelessness. Considering it part of their mission to serve all Native people, Four Winds chose not to discourage camping on the sidewalks around their property. The nonprofit even provided water and food, as well as extension cords to charge electrical devices. Four Winds helped take care of the campsite and maintain its cleanliness. Most importantly, Four Winds helped build a community for Native Americans experiencing homelessness in Denver. SEEKING COMPASSION Once the notice about the sweep went up, Four Winds quickly sought to stop the sweep. They spoke regularly with city officials in the days leading up to it. The Four Winds board and members of the Denver Native American community even scheduled a Zoom meeting with Denver Mayor Michael Hancock the day before the sweep in a last-minute attempt to convince him the homeless community at Four Winds needed to be seen differently from other homeless encampments. According to Parson, Four Winds was hopeful about the call. After all, Hancock had marched with the Native community in the past. 6 DENVER VOICE October 2021 Those in the meeting pleaded with Mayor Hancock to recognize the sweep would impact Native Americans camping on Native-managed land. Seeking compassion, they pointed out that the Native community disproportionately experiences poverty, Parsons said. They also discussed how two previous sweeps at Four Winds had caused a reshuffling of tents, but the unhoused individuals returned and would likely return. Hancock refused to relent. The sweep would go on. PEOPLE DON’T UNDERSTAND US City officials cited the start of school in August as a major factor for sweeping the campsite, which was six blocks from the Denver Center for International Studies, part of Denver Public Schools. Denver police arrived early in the morning on Aug. 31, armed with paintball guns loaded with PepperBalls and other crowd disbursement weapons. They faced a peaceful protest from the Native community. Some held signs and flags; others played a drum and chanted. The camp was quickly cordoned off with a chain-link fence, and within hours, the campsite dissolved.
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