John “Thunderbird Man” Emhoolah Jr. Branch Library is a storied building that hasn’t shied away from Colorado’s darker history, evolving to become a special symbol that honors the Native community.
The beautiful library building is often admired for its historic design. However, the actions of the library’s previous namesake led to the tragic 1864 Sand Creek Massacre and would cast a shadow over the building’s legacy. In 2020, Denver Public Library embarked on a new renaming effort spearheaded by the local community. Overwhelmingly, the community chose to recognize the victims of the massacre by renaming the library after the late John “Thunderbird Man” Emhoolah Jr., a beloved Arapaho and Kiowa community leader, teacher, and veteran.
During a beautiful renaming community celebration, the Emhoolah family presented the Carnegie Library with a family-quilted blanket, a high honor displayed proudly inside the library. Now, visitors from all over not only come to learn about the Carnegie building — how it was constructed in 1918 and cost just under $21,000 to build — but also visit to pay their respect for the victims of the Sand Creek Massacre and celebrate the Native community.
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