Emails from public employees promoted cancellation of lecture

Emails sent to the Fort Lewis College President’s Office prior to a contentious lecture about the influence of traders on Navajo weaving were both for and against the presentation being allowed to proceed.

Ultimately, either the organizers or the employees at the school cancelled the speech at the last minute in the morning of the day when the lecture was scheduled to occur (4/17/2025).

Unfortunately, the speech was not rescheduled, and censorship prevailed.

Chuck Carson, the President of the Professional Associates Executive Team, refused to respond to my email about why the lecture was cancelled, even though he opened my email, according to Mailsuite.

Recently, I received copies of some of those emails that people sent to the Acting President before the lecture was cancelled.

While the formatting of those emails provided by the college were in a wonky format, the messages were readable enough for me copy and paste them for you to read below.

Emails promoting cancellation of Jackson Clark II

Tirzah Camacho

Hello President Shotton,

My name is Tirzah Camacho and I’m a Durango resident, FLC alum, local
organizer and activist, fellow of the Robert Wood Johnson Culture of Health
Leaders Institute, former Chair of the Community Relations Commission for
the City of Durango, and co-creator of Four Borderless Corners
#notyourmascot campaign, and much more.

I’m writing urgently to express concern for the Life-Long Learning Series
speaker tonight in Noble Hall, 7-8:30, Jackson Clark. stepToh-Atin Gallery
has a long-standing tumultuous relationship with local organizers who have
attempted for decades now to have the Toh-Atin “chief” removed from
downtown. He and his sister Antonia have made extremely racist remarks
about organizers publicly, there are many records.

Indigenous people are not a monolith, or a cookie jar of artistic
excellence for strategic exploitation. His lecture tonight presupposes that
the trading post industry “saved” the Dine’ weaving craft. The oppressor
moving to own the narrative of how Indigenous artforms survived is a
painful oxymoron. We know the oppressor came first, creating the conditions
for exploitation and exorbitant disproportionate wealth for white people.
That’s his story, that’s his legacy. He moves to promote a narrative of
white saviorism, and posture in the community as an asset. To many
Indigenous organizers – we don’t believe that, and we don’t want to hear
it.

I send this message to say that people are planning to attend tonight and
disrupt this event. Surely there will be recordings and even press. It may
behove you to cancel this event.

Feel free to reach out to me anytime, I’d love to discuss this and like
local issues more anytime,

Tirzah Camacho

Liz Wallace:

Ya’ah’teh, Liz Wallace yinishy=E9. This is the only email I could find
for the college so I’d appreciate it if you could forward it on the whoever
organizes the event lectures. I’m a Diné silversmith who was just informed of this upcoming presentation on “Saving Navajo Weaving” on April 17.
While I’m not a weaver myself I do have weaver colleagues that I’m
sharing this absurd sounding event with. I’ve also spent a lot of time around non-Native traders and distanced myself partly because of the pedastalizing of
traders who made their fortunes off the under compensated labor and creativity of Native peoples.
While I do acknowledge the influence traders had it’s important to remember that prior to colonization it was Native peoples themselves trading their goods for millennia.
Bilagaana traders were only able to get established because the treat
ies forced them, along with religious groups, into our communities. Also many, like Lorenzo Hubbel, were extremely exploitive. Matt Fitzsimmons did a lot of research into that. I’ve also personally experienced a ton of exploitation from traders who are lauded as “helping the Indians”. In other words, White Saviorism gone wild.
While there have been ethical ones who seemed to acknowledge the interdependent nature of trading I’d say most have God complexes.
When I read the title and description of this event my flabber was gasted. First of all, weaving is deeply spiritual and culturally important to
Diné. Considering how hard the government worked to eradicate our language and culture, yet Diné still hung onto it, I believe weaving would’ve persisted and been passed on.
Additionally it was bilagaana traders who brought machine made blankets into the mix which affected demand for Navajo weavings. And those same traders were part of the colonial machine that slid into an already established trade network with established artisanal legacies.
It reminds me of all the people who credit the “founding fathers” with inventing the constitution when Benjamin Franklin was constantly transcribing meetings with the Haudenosenee and borrowed a lot of their governmental structure.
Please just cancel this event. This is something I’d expect from a backwards institution in Kentucky, not from a college that is supposed to support Native communities. I find it to be insulting and downright gross.

Ahe’hee for reading and I hope you have a good spring.

Rachel Boyle, 1st Grade teacher at Durango School District 9R:

Durango School District 9R employee Rachel Boyle promotes the cancellation of a speaker she though she’d disagree with.

To Whom it May Concern,

I am writing to you deeply concerned about a Lifelong Learning Series event scheduled for this evening titled “Saving Navajo Weaving.” This series, led by Toh Atin Gallery owner Jackson Clark III, is a dangerous example of indigenous erasure and white saviorism. I am appalled that Fort Lewis College would offer a platform to such an event.

Clark claims that without white traders, the art of Navajo weaving could have disappeared. This narrative erases the true reason that Navajo weaving or any other indigenous art form actually disappears or risks disappearing: colonization. Centering white people and erasing indigenous history and perspectives is not something FLC should be supporting or condoning in any way, especially given the critical reparations work FLC claims to be committed to.

Furthermore, the Clark family and the Toh Atin Gallery have also notoriously refused to remove the racist caricature statue of a native man outside of their building despite widespread disapproval and protest from the Durango
community.

Please act from FLC’s values and consider the harmful impact this event would have on indigenous students and community members and cancel tonight’s scheduled event.

Sincerely,
Rachel Boyle
Durango Resident and Educator

Kiera McCabe, Fort Lewis College employee:

Good evening Dr. Shotton,

I am writing as the HA first attendant and advocate for our Indigenous student body regarding a matter that has recently been drawing negative attention. It has come to my attention that a non-indigenous individual is organizing an event centered on Navajo weaving on April 17th in Noble Hall. Given
the deep cultural significance of Navajo weaving and the Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) it embodies, it is concerning that the event is not being led by an Indigenous weaver who possesses the necessary expertise and commitment to educating our Fort Lewis community.

Authentic cultural representation is essential for maintaining the integrity of these traditions. I respectfully request that we consider having the event held by a qualified indigenous weaver who can ensure that the cultural
practices and teachings are accurately and respectfully conveyed. If this
adjustment is not feasible, I believe another appropriate option would be to cancel the event altogether.

Thank you for your attention to this important issue. I look forward to discussing potential steps to address this matter.

Heather Sotton’s response to Kiera McCabe:

Kiera,

Thank you for sharing your concerns about this event and your very thoughtful feedback. This event is a part of the Life-Long Learning Lecture Series
that is sponsored by the Professional Associates. The College and President’s Office do not organize this event or choose the speakers for this series. However, the Professional Associates are a volunteer group that serves
in an advisory capacity to the President. I have cc’d our Interim President, Steve Schwartz, so that he is aware of this issue.

Because this event is sponsored and organized by the Professional Associates, I am unable to make changes to the speaker or cancel the event. I would
encourage you to reach out to their leadership team and share your concerns. Chuck Carson is the President of the Professional Associates Executive Team, his email is cccarson@aol.com<mailto:cccarson@aol.com>, and Gary Rottman organizes the Life-Long Learning Series, his email is gsorcer@hotmail.com.

Interim President Schwartz and I are happy to have a follow up meeting with
you to hear your concerns and talk about paths forward. Please let me know
if you’d like to meet with us and we’ll get something set up.

Thank you again for your willingness to share your concerns.

Heather

Heather J. Shotton, Ph.D. (Wichita/Kiowa/Cheyenne) | Vice President of Diversity Affairs & Acting Dean of Student Engagement

Fort Lewis College | Durango, CO 81301

Email HJSHOTTON@FORTLEWIS.EDU<mailto:HJSHOTTON@FORTLEWIS.EDU>

San Haley, Fort Lewis College employee:

Good afternoon,

I am writing in regards to an upcoming campus event. On April 17th, Jackson
Clark (owner of Toh-Atin) is making a presentation titled, “Saving Navajo
Weaving” at Fort Lewis College.

https://www.fortlewis.edu/about-flc/leadership/professional-associates/life-long-learning-series

The argument that white settler traders “saved” Diné weaving traditions has
long been debunked. Recent Indigenous historians demonstrate that the role
of colonial capitalism in Dine weaving traditions is largely denigratory.
Moreover, no reputable trained historian of which I am aware makes counter-historical arguments about “what would have happened if…” This presenter is not a trained historian, has no credentials, and cannot support their presentation any with material evidence.

While I am aware of the benefit to Jackson Clark in the spreading this defunct narrative, I am not sure I understand of what benefit it is to the Fort Lewis College community to host fake history that harms local Indigenous communities.

I think that “lifelong learning” at Fort Lewis would best be supported by learning new information, not rehashing and spreading fake history that serves the interests of the wealthy at the expense of Indigenous people. As a Native-serving institution, I believe that we owe it to our students and to
our campus community to lead the way out of colonialist mythologizing and into truth-telling historical fact.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Sand Haley

SAND HALEY, PHD | THEY/THEM

STUDENT SERVICES SPECIALIST I | FORT LEWIS COLLEGE | ADMISSION OFFICE

PHONE 970-247-6165 FAX 970-247-7179 | EMAIL SKHALEY@FORTLEWIS.EDU<mailto:c=
shunter@fortlewis.edu>

Steven Schwartz, Acting President of Fort Lewis College:

Hi Chuck,

I want to give you a heads-up that a number of our students are upset about
Jackson Clark’s upcoming PA Lifelong Learning lecture, “Saving Navajo Weaving.” I’ve been informed that they are planning to show up, though I don’t
have any insight as to what that means.

Best,

Steve

STEVEN J. SCHWARTZ
INTERIM PRESIDENT
FORT LEWIS COLLEGE | PRESIDENT=92S OFFICE
VIKKI AGOVINO, EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
EMAIL VMAGOVINO@FORTLEWIS.EDU<mailto:VMAGOVINO@FORTLEWIS.EDU>
OFFICE 970-247-7100

Nathan Coe:

To whom it may concern,

My name is Nathan Coe. I’m a lifelong Durango resident, FLC alum (Summa cum
laude), and son of a retired and late FLC Dept of Philosophy professor. I
am writing to you today to request that you cancel tonight’s Lifelong
Learning Lecture Series featuring Jackson Clark, and reschedule the event
with a Native speaker on the topic instead. Platforming a non-Native
gallery owner positioning himself as a savior of Native crafts is
inappropriate for various reasons that hopefully don’t require explanation,
but this particular individual and his family also have a long history of
harming the local Native community. This event, if it goes forward, only
contributes to the erasure of local Indigenous voices.

Thank you for your consideration,

-Nathan J. Coe

Trennie Burch:

Dear President Shotton,

My name is Trennie Burch. I’m a member of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe,
born and raised on the Southern Ute Reservation. I’m a long-time SW
CO resident, local organizer and activist, former member of the City of
Durango’s Community Relations Commission, and co-creator of the Four
Borderless Corners #NotYourMascot campaign.

I’m writing to express deep concern about the Life-Long Learning Series
event scheduled for tonight in Noble Hall featuring Jackson Clark of
Toh-Atin Gallery.

For years, local Indigenous community members have spoken out about the
gallery’s harmful and exploitative practices–particularly the ongoing
display of the so-called “chief” figure in downtown Durango. That figure is
offensive. It perpetuates harmful stereotypes and has no place in a
community that claims to value Indigenous voices. Despite decades of
outreach, organizing, and public pressure, the Clarks have refused to
engage in good faith. Jackson and Antonia Clark have both made documented,
overtly racist remarks about Native organizers, which speaks volumes about
their posture in this community.

Tonight’s lecture pushes a false narrative: that the trading
post industry “saved” Dine weaving. That framing is not only misleading–it’s harmful. It
conveniently erases the role of colonization and white profiteering in the
suppression of Indigenous art and culture. This is a textbook case of white
saviorism: centering the voices of those who’ve benefited from
exploitation, while sidelining the very people whose stories deserve to be
heard.

As a Southern Ute woman, I reject that narrative. And I am not alone. I
urge you to reconsider the platform being given here. Events like this
cause real harm–especially when Indigenous students and community members
continue to push for representation and respect.

I’m always open to further conversation and would be glad to talk more
about this and other issues impacting Native people in our region. Please
don’t hesitate to reach out.

In solidarity,

Trennie Burch

Member, Southern Ute Indian Tribe

Local Organizer | Activist

Durango Community Relations Commission

Co-creator, Four Borderless Corners #NotYourMascot Campaign

Supporters of Jackson Clark II’s lecture

Christopher Nelson:

President Schwartz, I understand that Jackson Clark’s talk and discussion about the history of the commercialization of Native American textiles was abandoned over Mr. Clark’s unwillingness to negotiate its content ahead of its presentation on campus. I am writing as a supporter of higher education in general and of the College in particular to express my concern with this little twist.

I understand that about 30 percent of the Fort Lewis student body is or identifies as Native American, and I assume the objection to the lecture came
from that population. The story of this cancellation, in the hands of a less confident and less compassionate man than Mr. Clark, might end up in the
hands someone like Lauren Bobert–another kind of activist and Fort Lewis College would pay, dearly. The Navajo at Fort Lewis might emerge, by misplaced analogy, as the Palestinian at Columbia, but with no intermediate steps like–antisemitism; the critique would just
barrel straight ahead to the Nativist, MAGA, racist grievance narrative with the sweetener of a plain-faced threat to the wall art of the oligarchy of Pitkin, Eagle, La Plata and San Juan Counties. I fear serious bumps in the road for Fort Lewis College if and when it shows-up on the current political radar for any reason. Federally subsidized Higher Ed serving a federally subsidized minority population hailing from a federally subsidized Sovereign Nation, all powered by federally subsidized student loans and grants. Yikes. What else was the DOGE monster made for?

While I have only a vague sense of your unenviable predicament out there on
the razor’s edge of a college presidency, I do think that the reasonable free speech rights of someone like Mr. Clark or any competent historian–in or out of the Academy–should have been more carefully guarded than what was afforded to Mr. Clark in the run-up to his talk on
April 17; both on principle and in practical defense of the college in this
toxic political environment.

President Schwartz, no reply is expected to this email. I only hope that it
has actually made it though the filters to you, and that my very light thumb will be felt on the scales of your official judgement. Let the rug guy talk about the history of rug guys; this is not a good hill for free speech
to die on.

Christopher Nelson
Salt Lake City

Kathy Gibson:

Dear Interim President Steve Schwartz,

I saw that Jackson’s lecture was canceled tonight. Evidently you must have
had reasons for that. Hopefully it was because there was an emergency or problem with the building or room or some other reason beyond your control.
If it was because of a difference of opinion about the content of his lecture, I would like to know.
I have known Jackson for many years. He was very generous to me when I took
my very old Navajo chief’s weaving blanket to him for identification, maybe 1990. He had it repaired professionally and gave me an appraisal. He date
d it to 1860. I was more than pleased to loan it to him for years so he could show it. When I moved to Michigan I took it with me.
He speaks with authority and I can attest to his knowledge. So can many others. I was looking forward to viewing it later, since I was unable to
attend.
I am disappointed you canceled his lecture. I sincerely hope you will repair this issue in a public way.
Sincerely,
Kathy Gibson

Southgate, MI 49185
Great granddaughter of Frank X. Gonner, 1860-1912″and many are the dead men=
too silent to be real” ~ Gordon Lightfoot

Robert Wood:

I just read that you caved into canceling a speech scheduled for tonight by
Jackson Clark II. What gives with that?! It is obvious that you don’t have any knowledge about the history of Jackson Clark II and his family and all they have done for Fort Lewis over the years. I know that my form
er Father in-law who was on the Board of Agriculture (Dr. Perry Ball)=C2=A0=
would be greatly upset with you canceling the speech! I am very, very disappointed in your decision and as an alumni of FLC, I can=E2=80=99t believe that Free Speech is being denied!!!My future thoughts on leaving any financial donations to Fort Lewis is now in jeopardy! Am very disappointed in you
and your decision!Sincerely,Robert Wood Seattle Wa
Cc Jackson Clark II

Adam Howell is a writer who believes in free press and the importance of the constitution. He can be reached by clicking on this link to the contact page.

#FortLewisCollege
#censorship
#LifeLongLearningLectureSeries