Nearly 100 people turned out for a celebration to honor the late Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell this month, including U.S. Rep. Jason Crow, Lieutenant Governor Dianne Primavera, University of Colorado Anschutz (CU Anschutz) Chancellor Don Elliman, CU Regent Ilana Speigel, along with many other honored university, campus, school, community partners, elected officials, and family members.
The sheer breadth of the audience and presenters, from tribal elders to state leaders, showcased the wide-ranging impact that Campbell had throughout his life. And the event itself, which ranged from a traditional opening ceremony and prayer to anecdotes about Campbell riding his Harley to South Dakota for Sturgis and wearing cowboy boots on the Senate floor, to the significance of this legislative work for Coloradans and American Indians, showcased his ability to impact political change while remaining authentically himself.
The speakers highlighted Campbell’s legacy to the school, campus, state, and nation, including his advocacy work as chair of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs; his help in establishing the National Museum of the American Indian; the initiatives he supported related to education, housing, and economic development in Indian country; and his legislative efforts to establish the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site to honor Cheyenne and Arapahoe victims and preserve the grounds.
The event was a partnership between CU Anschutz, the Colorado School of Public Health, and the Centers for American Indian and Alaska Native Health (CAIANH) to honor Campbell's legacy and impact, as he had a career-long impact on all three organizations.
Campbell was intimately involved with the move of what is today CU Anschutz from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center campus in Denver to the former Fitzsimons Army Medical Campus grounds in Aurora in 2008, the same year ColoradoSPH was established.
He also had significant ties with CAIANH. CAIANH was established in 1986 and is the largest, most comprehensive, and longest-standing program of its kind in the country. He was instrumental in creating the building where CAIANH sits today, the Nighthorse Campbell Native Health Building, by securing federal funds for its construction, serving as its political champion and namesake, and attending its dedication in 2002.
Spero Manson, PhD, the director of the center since that time, spoke of his close work with Campbell over the decades. They not only worked together to fund the building's construction, but also on the research housed in it, reflecting both of their long-standing commitments to advancing Native health and wellness.
“He was a warrior for our time,” Manson said.
Campbell was a Northern Cheyenne chief, decorated United States Air Force and Korean War veteran, 1964 Olympic judoka, award-winning jewelry designer, and former U.S. senator. He spent two decades in elected office, twelve of them as the only Native American in the U.S. Senate. Campbell passed away in December 2025.
Check out more pictures from the event: