SPOKANE, Wash. — The city of Spokane has observed Indigenous Peoples day for the last five years.
While celebrating this rich history, members of the Spokane Tribe are actively pushing for change in the community.
“There is no room in today’s world for a street called Colonel George Wright,” said Tribe representative Jamie Sijohn. “Honoring a man who did brutal violence.”
During the 1800s Colonel Wright was a leading force behind the genocide of Spokane Natives.
He burned crops, killed over 600 captured horses, and destroyed the tribe's economy. The name alone reminds tribal citizens about the murder of their people.
“The brutality of this particular individual exceeded the norms even of the military at the time,” explained Margo Hill, a member of the Spokane Tribe.
After decades spent trying to get a name change for the road in front of Spokane Falls Community College, there’s finally a sign of hope that things will change.
Earlier this year, hundreds of people rallied in the streets to protest the road's name.
“I choose to celebrate Native American people, ancestors who have survived that era. Who protects and preserves our culture,” Sijohn explained.
Now, the next step toward the future is finding a name to replace the old one.
Something that’s representative of the culture and people who lived on and took care of the land. A planning committee with city council members and local natives are working to find the perfect option.
“It’s more than just a name,” said Hill. “It’s a representation of a man that committed genocide on the Spokane people. The very people whose land this belonged to.”