Arvada’s newest park will be the first in town to honor the area’s indigenous heritage. Little Raven Park is located to the north of Van Bibber Creek Trail and southeast of the intersection of Ward Road and 58th Avenue.

The name was selected as the official name of the greenspace by city council on April 17 out of a pool of three finalists: Little Raven Park, Strawberry Park and Vista Verde Park.

The name honors Chief Little Raven, an indigenous leader who advocated for peace between local tribes and white settlers. The name was suggested by local resident Jennifer Hobbs, who recently moved to the area and wanted to honor those who lived on the land many centuries ago.

“If you look around that area, you have Van Bibber Park named after a recent landowner, Sabell is a recent landowner — and the history of that land goes back thousands of years,” Hobbs said. “I felt like we needed to be fairer to the centuries past and shed a little light on the centuries before those two men."

Hobbs added that he loved that Chief Little Raven was dedicated to peace.

“And he was actually run off his lands a couple of times, so in the eyes of fairness and karma, even though this is only posthumous, in a way we’re giving him back the land we took from his people when the white settlers came," Hobbs continued.

Arvada’s Director of Vibrant Communities and Neighborhood Enessa Janes said she was happy with how the naming process went.

“In general, the parks department is really excited about the name Little Raven,” Janes said. “It was pretty clear that the community wanted a culturally diverse name, especially one honoring the indigenous people of Colorado. Community engagement was a really important process; the team focused on involving people who live, work and recreate near the park.”

The park features a shaded pavilion with tables, a play field, a playground, a walking path and provides access to Van Bibber Trail. The park has been open since November 2022.

Hobbs said her name being chosen makes her feel more welcome in town.

“As one of your newest residents, I just feel really welcome now,” Hobbs said. “I didn’t expect that. Names are very important of places. It’s just a huge opportunity to show a little light on someone and I didn’t want that to be wasted.”

The city is planning a ceremony to unveil the name.