Christopher Columbus Park could soon be renamed in honor of Tohono O’odham elder and educator Danny Lopez under a proposal by the city of Tucson.
The city’s Parks and Recreation Department is now collecting public input on the name change, which was requested by the Tucson Native Youth Council, community leaders and members of the Lopez family.
In her letter to the city on behalf of the group, former youth council co-president Azul Navarrete-Valera described Lopez as a revered and beloved teacher who dedicated his life to preserving Tohono O’odham knowledge for future generations.
“Danny Lopez’s legacy is a testament to the resilience and strength of indigenous cultures,” she wrote.
His decades-long career included work at Indian Oasis Primary School in Sells, Topawa Middle School in Topawa, Tohono O’odham Community College and Ha:San Preparatory School in Tucson.
Silverbell Lake at Christopher Columbus Park. The city is collecting public input on a proposal to rename the park in honor of late Tohono O’odham elder and educator Danny Lopez.
Along the way, he schooled hundreds of fellow tribal members in what’s known as Himdag, an all-encompassing term for the culture, way of life, and values uniquely held by the Tohono O’odham.
In 2004, the Heard Museum in Phoenix presented Lopez with its Spirit of the Heard award, which is given annually for outstanding work by Native Americans to educate the public about the heritage, art and living cultures of Indigenous people.
In 2005, he greeted the Dalai Lama and offered him a blessing during his visit to Tucson.
Lopez died in 2008 at the age of 71, after a life that “embodies the values of inclusivity and empowerment that should define our public spaces in Tucson,” Navarrete-Valera wrote in the proposal.
Christopher Columbus Park could soon be renamed in honor of elder and educator Danny Lopez, who spent his long teaching career helping preserve the Tohono O’odham language.
By contrast, she wrote, the current name of Christopher Columbus Park “glorifies a man whose actions perpetuated the mass genocide, abuse and oppression of Indigenous peoples” — a legacy that “continues to inflict harm upon our communities.”
The city land along the west bank of the Santa Cruz River was known as Silverbell Park until 1990, when the Tucson chapter of the Knights of Columbus lobbied the city to change the name in advance of the 500th anniversary of Columbus’ arrival in the Americas.
Renaming the park for Lopez would be “a step toward reconciliation and healing,” Navarrete-Valera wrote. “We cannot change the past, but we can shape the future.”
The offices of Ward 1 City Councilwoman Lane Santa Cruz and Ward 3 Councilman Kevin Dahl have agreed to share the estimated $10,000 in costs associated with the name change.
Public comments on the proposal will be accepted through Nov. 25. They can be emailed to parksandrecreation@tucsonaz.gov or mailed to: Tucson Parks and Recreation; Attn: Public Comment, Christopher Columbus Park Renaming; 900 S. Randolph Way; Tucson, AZ 85716.
