TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Christopher Columbus Park, a popular location on Tucson’s west side, may soon undergo a name change.
The City of Tucson is seeking public input on renaming the park to honor Danny Lopez, a respected Tohono O’odham teacher who dedicated his life to preserving indigenous traditions and languages.
This change has been years in the making. According to Antonio Ramirez, a volunteer with the Tucson Native Youth Council, efforts to rename the park began five years ago, culminating in the official process starting just last week.
“Christopher Columbus never set foot in the United States or Tucson,” Ramirez explained. “Having a park named after him sends the wrong message about our community values. It also overlooks the fact that there were atrocities committed to the indigenous people.”
Renaming the park to honor Danny Lopez, who passed away in 2008, aims to acknowledge the contributions of a local figure who spent his life preserving the culture and language of the Tohono O'odham people.
As an educator at the Sells Indian Oasis Primary School, Lopez taught his young students about their native language and culture. Lopez also taught at Topawa Middle School in Topawa, Tohono O’odham Community College and the Ha:Sañ Preparatory School in Tucson.
He taught Himdag to hundreds of members of the Tohono O’odham Nation over the past 30 years and, in 2005, was named the recipient of the Spirit of the Heard award. The honor, presented by the Heard Museum, awards southwest tribal members demonstrating personal excellence and community leadership
He was also called to bless the Dalai Lama during a 2005 visit to Tucson.
Lopez’s legacy continues to inspire those working to keep indigenous traditions alive.
“He passed away in 2008 but his legacy lives on through his cultural teachings,” Ramirez said. “And the preservation of the language that he spent his whole life trying to protect and promote.”
Local residents seem open to the idea of renaming the park.
Steve K. is Westside resident who spent the day fishing at the park with his grandson, Logan. He thinks the name change could be a good idea, which sparked curiosity about Lopez.
“Naming it after a Native American activist makes sense because, after all, this was Native American land,” he said. “I would like to learn a little bit more about his life.”
Another Westside resident, Brian Egeberg, agreed with the change.
“It feels more relevant to the area than Christopher Columbus,” Egeberg said. “What did Columbus ever do for Tucson?”
Britney Silverman met her old friend, Tyson Reedy, at the park to fish. She thinks the change is the right thing to do.
“I feel like we should represent the people who we took the land from,” Silverman said. “They were here first and we don’t do enough for them.”
Another resident, Austin McPhedran, said honoring a community member would better fit the park.
“We do have a lot of Christopher Columbus parks in the United States,” McPhedran said. “It would be better to have someone more local that represents our history.”
The public will have 45 days to share their thoughts on the proposal. The request for comments began on October 12th and closes on Monday, November 25th.
To approve the change, the Tucson City Council will vote on the proposal. The full proposal can be read here.
Comments can be submitted by mail to:
Tucson Parks and Recreation Attn: Public Comment – Christopher Columbus Park Renaming 900 S. Randolph Way Tucson, AZ 85716
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Joel Foster is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9 who previously worked as an English teacher in both Boston and the Tucson area. Joel has experience working with web, print and video in the tech, finance, nonprofit and the public sectors. In his off-time, you might catch Joel taking part in Tucson's local comedy scene. Share your story ideas with Joel at joel.foster@kgun9.com, or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram or X.
