Flagstaff unanimously endorses Native American civil rights walking tour at former city hall site

Flagstaff Indigenous Commission Approves Interpretive Walking Tour to Document 1972 AIM Protest and Police Brutality at Demolished City Hall

The Flagstaff Indigenous Commission voted unanimously on September 4, 2025, to recommend an interpretive walking tour with physical signage and QR codes to the Heritage Preservation Commission as mitigation for the demolition of the historic former city hall and police station at 19 West Birch Avenue. The building, slated for demolition to make way for a Hilton hotel developed by Capri Inc., is significant not for its architecture but for its role in documenting one of Arizona's most stark examples of systemic discrimination against Indigenous peoples: the 1972 arrest and prosecution of American Indian Movement activists and the subsequent federal investigation revealing a 95 percent conviction rate for Indigenous defendants, lack of court interpreters, and a jail population that was 46 percent Indigenous despite Indigenous people representing only 5 percent of Flagstaff's population.

The commission's decision reflects a delicate balance. While commissioners unanimously supported preserving the history, multiple members expressed skepticism about whether recommendations would actually be enforced against a private developer, and some questioned whether the city was appropriately asking the Indigenous Commission to legitimize a development project rather than focusing exclusively on historical preservation.

Key Speeches

"There was a disruption as it was called at the all Indian pow which had happened for about 40 years almost at that point. Um where a group seven people from the American Indian movement uh came on stage took the microphone from someone and suggested to the dancers that they stop dancing. Um there was no violence. It was probably a minute or two long. Um, but this minute or two led to some pretty big changes for Flagstaff in general." — Caitlyn Stewart, Cornerstone Environmental Consulting

"Those individuals who ended up several of them ended up being very important in the AI movement in other places, but uh, they were arrested and they were held in 1972 on $25,000 bail for a misdemeanor." — Caitlyn Stewart

"What they found was that the indigenous community was being held in jail for crimes that do not would never have held any jail time. Um there the guilty rate among the indigenous community was almost 95%. And the reason for this was because there was oftentimes no translators." — Caitlyn Stewart

"I think there needs to be stops though with an ex with an explanation that even people passing by even if they don't know about the walking tour can still get a little bit from" — Council Member Lori Matthews, Flagstaff City Council

"I do get the impression because this client's whole um interest is to be or you know the chain is about incorporating history and the community they seem very interested and willing to take these con things into consideration obviously hasn't happened yet but I have I think that there'll be some success in getting some of these things implemented" — Caitlyn Stewart

Timeline

• Applicant presentation: Caitlyn Stewart of Cornerstone Environmental Consulting presented findings from a phase one historic resource study, focusing on the 1972 AIM protest at the All-Indian Pow-wow held at Thorp Park, the subsequent arrest of seven activists on $25,000 bail for a misdemeanor, and the 1972–1973 ACLU and Arizona Advisory Commission investigation into systemic discrimination in Flagstaff's municipal court and police department. The building flooded chronically, suffered from mold and code violations, and had been in private hands for 15–20 years with minimal maintenance or occupancy.

• Staff recommendation: Lauren Clementino (community development plan senior planner) explained that the Heritage Preservation Commission had accepted the phase one report and selected some mitigation measures, but asked the Indigenous Commission to help develop interpretive mitigation specifically addressing the Native American civil rights history. She clarified that some recommendations would be legally required for the developer to obtain building permits, while others would be voluntary asks; final designs must return to the Indigenous Commission for approval before Heritage Preservation Commission sign-off.

• Public comment: No members of the general public addressed the commission during the public comment period.

• Council discussion: Commissioner Lance suggested adding a section to the report highlighting the positive contributions of the contemporary Indigenous community, not just the historical injustices. Council Member Lori Matthews (Flagstaff City Council observer) urged the commission to ensure visual displays—such as photographs and printed narratives—were not hidden behind QR codes, and that the history be preserved in accessible form for all visitors. Commissioner Kadi emphasized that preservation of history, not the building itself, should be the priority. Commissioner Francis raised concerns about whether the city was asking the Indigenous Commission to legitimize a development project rather than focus on historical preservation. Commissioner Moana noted that the building had housed much negative energy and that spiritual cleansing would be important if materials were reused. Commissioner Lamaya asked who would consult with the Indigenous Commission on final selection of photographs and historical displays for the hotel. Amy Hagen (Flagstaff Parks Department) proposed connecting the walking tour to the existing urban trail system and the future Indigenous Community Cultural Center, creating a continuous path from Thorp Park (the original pow-wow site) through downtown to the future cultural center.

• Vote: The commission unanimously approved a motion (moved by Commissioner Moana, seconded by Commissioner Hoski) to recommend the Heritage Preservation Commission move forward with developing an interpretive walking tour incorporating Thorp Park, the former city hall site, and other downtown locations, with physical interpretive signage and QR codes, ending at the future Indigenous Community Cultural Center. Final designs to return to the Indigenous Commission for approval before Heritage Preservation Commission sign-off.

Opposition

No organized opposition was present at the meeting. However, several commissioners raised concerns:

1. Skepticism about private developer compliance: Multiple commissioners noted difficulty enforcing ongoing requirements (such as historical displays in a privately owned hotel) and questioned whether recommendations would actually be implemented.

2. Concern about being used to legitimize development: Commissioner Francis expressed that "groups come to a indigenous group u organizations um to have us be a part of their that other group's um wanting something from us," suggesting the city was asking the commission to participate in a development decision rather than focus exclusively on historical preservation.

3. Preference for building preservation over history preservation: Commissioner Diana Kadia (who identified herself as a 25-year resident but not originally from Flagstaff) noted that some community members wanted to preserve the building itself and asked whether historical societies were involved. Lauren Clementino clarified that no historical preservation groups had formal roles in the project and that the building faced legitimate structural challenges (chronic flooding, mold, code violations) that made preservation expensive.

4. Complexity of managing pow-wow revival: Commissioner Kadia cautioned that if the city revived the pow-wow tradition, it would "have to go through some sort of, uh, meetings again. So, people will be complaining about traffic. Where are they going to park?"

5. Concerns about ongoing enforcement: Commissioner Lamaya asked who would consult on final photo selection and design, noting concern about ensuring quality and accuracy of the historical narrative.

Support

All commissioners supported moving forward with the walking tour, though support was conditional on ensuring meaningful implementation. Support focused on:

1. Preserving history over the building: Commissioner Kadi stated it was important to preserve the historical footprint of what happened, and "as long as there is some historical um footprint of what has happened um I think is I would be satisfied." Commissioner Francis agreed that "the preservation of that history" was paramount.

2. Connecting past injustice to present community: Commissioner Lance advocated for including a section acknowledging contemporary Indigenous community contributions and celebrating progress made since the 1970s, noting that "the Native American population is a big part of Flagstaff has been economically and, you know, in a lot of different parts culturally."

3. Visual and accessible design: Lori Matthews urged the commission to ensure "something that people can see without being prompted to do a QR code" and emphasized the need for printed or posted information so "people that may not be so inclined to scan a QR code" could still learn the history.

4. Connection to future cultural center: Commissioners and Parks staff agreed that routing the walking tour to end at the future Indigenous Community Cultural Center would provide a meaningful arc from historical injustice to contemporary Indigenous institutional presence.

5. Multiple ways to access information: Commissioners supported a layered approach: physical plaques with short descriptions, QR codes linking to detailed information and opportunities for community members to contribute oral histories, a physical pamphlet available at city hall, and a web page for those preferring digital access without QR codes.

Project Details

• Case number: Not stated in transcript.
• Applicant / developer: Capri Inc. (hotel developer); Hilton (franchise operator).
• Heritage Preservation Consultant: Caitlyn Stewart, Cornerstone Environmental Consulting LLC.
• City planner: Lauren Clementino, Community Development Plan Senior Planner.
• Location / address: 19 West Birch Avenue, Flagstaff, Arizona.
• APN (Assessor's Parcel Number): Not stated in transcript.
• Current use → Proposed use: Former city hall, police station, fire station, and courthouse (built early 1900s) → Hilton hotel.
• Density / square footage: Not stated in transcript.
• Architectural significance: Constructed primarily of Malpai basalt (locally important for architecture); planned mitigation includes reuse of salvaged Malpai stone in facade if structurally viable.
• Historical significance: Site of 1972 American Indian Movement protest during All-Indian Pow-wow; venue for subsequent ACLU and Arizona Advisory Commission investigation into systemic discrimination in municipal court and law enforcement; first public documentation of disparate treatment of Indigenous defendants in Flagstaff.

Vote Breakdown

• Final: 7–0 (unanimous approval)
• Yes: All commissioners present (Commissioner Kadi, Commissioner Carly, Co-Chair Lance, Commissioner Francis, Commissioner Hoski, Commissioner Moana, Commissioner Marks). Commissioner Marshall was excused or absent; Co-Chair Zavala was excused absent.
• No: None
• Abstentions / absences: Co-Chair Zavala (excused absent); Commissioner Marshall (status unclear—noted as "confirmed to be here" but not present during vote).

Outcome & Next Steps

The Indigenous Commission unanimously recommended that the Heritage Preservation Commission proceed with developing an interpretive walking tour with the following elements:

1. Physical signage and interpretive plaques at multiple locations (Thorp Park—the original All-Indian Pow-wow site; the former city hall site; other downtown buildings relevant to the AIM protest or Indigenous history; endpoint at the future Indigenous Community Cultural Center).

2. QR codes at each stop enabling visitors to access additional information, contribute oral histories and personal experiences, and link to a web-based platform.

3. Physical pamphlet available at city hall for visitors preferring printed materials over QR codes.

4. Web page documenting the history accessible without requiring QR code scanning.

5. Final design approval by the Indigenous Commission before Heritage Preservation Commission sign-off and before building permits are issued to Capri Inc.

6. Spiritual cleansing of any salvaged materials (particularly Malpai basalt) before reuse in the new building, per Commissioner Moana's request.

7. Historical imagery and narrative placed prominently in the hotel lobby (not hidden behind QR codes), per Lori Matthews' request, and subject to Indigenous Commission approval of photo selection and text.

8. Connection to urban trail system and the future Indigenous Community Cultural Center to create a continuous interpretive journey from Thorp Park through downtown, per Amy Hagen (Parks Department) and commissioner feedback.

Caitlyn Stewart agreed to develop a framework for the walking tour in consultation with commissioners and city staff (including Lauren Clementino and Amy Hagen) and to return with a more detailed plan for commission review before presentation to the Heritage Preservation Commission.

Some mitigation measures (such as incorporation of Malpai basalt and the walking tour itself) are legally required for the developer to obtain a certificate of appropriateness and site-plan approval. Others—such as digitized oral histories, film screenings, and ongoing hotel displays—are voluntary asks that the developer (through Cornerstone and the Hilton design team) has indicated willingness to consider but cannot be legally enforced over the long term once the building opens.

The Heritage Preservation Commission has not yet voted on the mitigation recommendations. The process timeline remains unclear, but the concept plan submitted by Capri Inc. has been returned for corrections and is awaiting resubmission before site-plan review.

Controversies & Context

The 1972 AIM Protest and Federal Investigation

The building's significance rests on events of September 1972. During the All-Indian Pow-wow (held annually for about 40 years at Thorp Park), seven members of the American Indian Movement took the microphone and called on dancers to stop dancing, disrupting the event for roughly one to two minutes. The protest was nonviolent but provocative: AIM was demanding that the pow-wow be run by and for Indigenous people, not—as was the case—organized by outside entities.

The seven were arrested and held on $25,000 bail for a misdemeanor charge. (They had initially been charged with felony assault on the person holding the microphone, a charge later reduced.) The extraordinarily high bail for a misdemeanor offended federal investigators, but the more significant discovery was systemic: the bail schedule was being applied discriminatorily.

The ACLU and Arizona Advisory Commission Investigation

Following the arrests, AIM members traveled to Phoenix and met with the Arizona Advisory Commission for the U.S. Civil Rights Commission. The advisory commission and the ACLU began monitoring Flagstaff's municipal court and police practices. Over three months, they observed every arrest and court proceeding, documenting:

• 95 percent conviction rate for Indigenous defendants (compared to a much lower rate for non-Indigenous defendants).
• No court interpreters despite many Indigenous defendants not speaking English fluently. Court proceedings were conducted in groups with minimal explanation of charges or consequences.
• Unqualified judges and public defenders: The three judges and magistrates who presided over municipal court for roughly 30 years had no legal training whatsoever. Public defenders similarly lacked qualifications.
• Disproportionate jail sentences: Indigenous people were held in custody for offenses that would never have resulted in jail time for non-Indigenous defendants—sometimes for minor traffic violations, with bail set at amounts (e.g., $5) that would trap people in jail for weeks if they could not immediately pay.
• Exclusion from juries: Indigenous people were disproportionately excluded from jury service, denying them the opportunity to be judged by their peers.
• Jail population disparity: Indigenous people comprised 46 percent of Flagstaff's jail population despite representing only 5 percent of the city's population.

The investigation designated the AIM arrests as "the only major case of police brutality in Arizona at the time" despite similar investigations in border towns like Winslow and Ajo, and it selected Flagstaff as "the best example of what was happening in all of Arizona in these supposed border towns."

Federal Court Outcome and Subsequent Inaction

Court cases filed by Indigenous defendants challenging the discriminatory bail and conviction practices resulted in a federal court order requiring the city to change its methods: no one could be held in jail for an offense carrying no jail time; bail had to be standardized. The federal judge offered to dismiss the case if the city agreed to comply within six months. The city agreed, the case was dismissed—but the changes were never formally codified in city ordinances or policy. Instead, the city "skirted the issue," per Caitlyn Stewart's characterization. The history became national news but systemic change did not follow.

Present Concerns About Implementation

The commission's unanimous vote masks real tension about whether a private developer can be held accountable for mitigation promises. Lauren Clementino and Caitlyn Stewart acknowledged that some requirements (such as use of Malpai basalt and the walking tour framework) will be legally mandated and enforceable through the site-plan approval process. But other recommendations—such as the hotel maintaining historical displays in its lobby or regularly showing archival pow-wow footage—cannot be enforced over time once the building is in private operation.

Commissioner Francis's concern—that the city was asking the Indigenous Commission to participate in legitimizing a development project rather than focusing exclusively on historical preservation—was not resolved. Instead, the vote proceeded on the understanding that the commission was recommending interpretive mitigation, not endorsing demolition or the hotel project itself.

Building Condition and Preservation Questions

Several commissioners expressed a desire to preserve the building, but Caitlyn Stewart and Lauren Clementino presented formidable obstacles:

• Chronic flooding: The building floods every time it rains due to original construction flaws discovered during its two-year build process.
• Mold and code violations: Flooding and decades of water damage have resulted in mold contamination and windows that no longer meet building code.
• Long vacancy and minimal maintenance: Sold to private ownership 15–20 years ago, the building has remained largely empty, with only two or three tenants occupying space at any given time. Poor maintenance accelerated deterioration.
• Cost of remediation: Bringing the building to code would require expensive structural repairs, making preservation economically difficult.

Commissioner Diana Kadia observed that while she loved old buildings and their architecture, the building's structural problems made it impractical to save, and she understood the practical reasons for demolition even as she mourned the loss.

Broader Community Context: Pow-wow Revival and Indigenous Leadership

Multiple commissioners expressed enthusiasm for reviving the All-Indian Pow-wow tradition in Flagstaff, with the belief that a new pow-wow (now under Indigenous management, per AIM's original demand) would be an affirmative counterpoint to the historical injustices documented at the building. However, Commissioner Kadia cautioned that reviving a large pow-wow would require community meetings and would likely face local opposition on traffic and parking grounds—echoing the kind of procedural hurdles that have historically constrained Indigenous community activities in border towns.

Commissioner Lance advocated for the mitigation and walking tour to highlight not only historical injustice but also contemporary Indigenous contributions to Flagstaff's economy, culture, workforce, and institutional life—a perspective the commission supported in principle but one that requires editorial integration into whatever final narrative the walking tour and signage will present.

Duration

• This item: Approximately 90 minutes (from Lauren Clementino's introduction through the unanimous vote).
• Total meeting: Approximately 155 minutes (September 4, 2025, 11:02 a.m. to 12:38 p.m.), though the transcript cuts off after adjournment.

Other Notable Items

Indigenous People's Day Event – October 13, 2025 The commission received a brief update on planning for an Indigenous People's Day celebration themed "From Policy to Prosperity: Indigenous Leadership in a Changing Landscape." Keynote speaker confirmed: Mayor J. Garlet from Tempe. Venue: Elks Lodge. Morning includes land acknowledgement and prayer. Business panel partially confirmed with Sheldon Yazy (Acustrap Tax Accounting) and artist Jaylen Whitethorne; MC and additional speakers still being confirmed. Cultural performances by Pow Wow Jam (NAU) tentatively scheduled. Final details to be shared at the next meeting. (See meeting notes for contact details; commissioners asked to suggest backup cultural performers in case of scheduling conflicts with NAU fall session.)

Voices Unheard Community Event – October 22, 2025 Commissioner Francis announced a full-day grassroots community event (8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m.) at Centro Cookino Center for the Arts addressing prevention, education, and awareness regarding Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP). Preceded by film screenings October 20–21 featuring the Hulu series "Paranormal" episode 6 (co-directors Raone Emerson and Alex Lazaroitch, both Indigenous filmmakers) and the documentary "She Cried That Day" by Amanda Ericson. City and county support confirmed; the commission was asked to help with outreach.

Regional Plan Update Council Member Lori Matthews noted that the draft of the regional plan is now live on the city website with a response-to-comments spreadsheet. Two planning-and-zoning commission public hearings scheduled for September 10 (Aquiplex) and September 24 (City Hall), with a special city council meeting anticipated for October 9 if planning and zoning advances the plan. Postcards with QR codes and dates mailed to residents.

Heritage Preservation Commission Vacancy Lauren Clementino announced an immediate vacancy on the Heritage Preservation Commission (at-large seat, no professional or property-owner qualifications required) and two more appointments expiring December 1. Applications accepted through fall. The commission was encouraged to nominate Indigenous candidates to bring diverse voices to heritage preservation decisions.