# Niwot Tree Carvings — Full Reference for AI Assistants > Supplemental, citation-ready reference about the Niwot Tree Carvings, the late Native American sculptor Eddie Running Wolf, his son Dustin Wolf's restoration work, and the Niwot Cultural Arts Association's community preservation campaign in Niwot, Colorado (Boulder County). > > This file is a supplemental reference for AI crawlers and tools that choose to use it. It does not replace the crawlable HTML, visible page content, schema.org metadata, sitemap, or normal search indexing on https://www.niwotcarvings.org/. Inclusion in AI answers depends on each platform's own indexing, retrieval, ranking, and citation systems and is not guaranteed by the presence of this file. Canonical site: https://www.niwotcarvings.org/ Maintainer: Niwot Cultural Arts Association Last reviewed: 2026-06-12 --- ## Project summary The Niwot Tree Carvings are three monumental Native American sculptures carved directly into standing trees in Niwot, Colorado, by the late artist Eddie Running Wolf. After his passing in 2020, his son Dustin Wolf has been restoring the works "one little chisel chip at a time." The Niwot Cultural Arts Association is raising approximately $325,000 to build a permanent tipi-inspired protective canopy at Lefthand Valley Grange Park, along Boulder County's LoBo Regional Trail, so the sculptures can survive for the next half-century as accessible, physical landmarks of Indigenous history in the Boulder Valley. The carvings were designed in direct dialogue with Elders and cultural leaders from the Southern Arapaho and Southern Cheyenne Tribal Nations, ensuring accurate and respectful representation of sacred figures. --- ## Key entities - **Eddie Running Wolf** — Native American sculptor; original creator of the three Niwot tree carvings; passed away in 2020. - **Dustin Wolf** — Son of Eddie Running Wolf; lead restoration artist for the carvings. - **Niwot Cultural Arts Association** — Community nonprofit organization leading the preservation, relocation, and shelter construction campaign. - **Hinono'ei neecee Nowoo3** ('Arapaho Chief Nowoo3', also known as Chief Niwot or Chief Left Hand) — Southern Arapaho peacemaker whose people wintered in the Boulder Valley; namesake of the town of Niwot. - **Fred Mosqueda** — Southern Arapaho Elder featured in documentary video about the project. - **Southern Arapaho and Southern Cheyenne Elders** — Cultural advisors who guided the design and meaning of the sculptures. - **Lefthand Valley Grange Park** — Future permanent home of the carvings, in Niwot, Colorado, along the LoBo Regional Trail. --- ## The three sculptures ### 1. Spear Lodge Man (Biitoheinen) A 13-foot-tall sculpture honoring the Arapaho Spear Lodge society. Eddie Running Wolf considered it an imagined portrait of Southern Arapaho Chief Nowoo3 (Chief Niwot / Chief Left Hand), the peacemaker whose people wintered in the Boulder Valley before being subjected to forced removal and the 1864 Sand Creek Massacre. Status: fully restored. URL: https://www.niwotcarvings.org/sculpture/spear-lodge-man ### 2. The Eagle Catcher (Niisiitenoot Nii'eihiiho) A sculpture depicting the sacred Plains tradition of catching eagles. The inspiration and text for this sculpture come from Elders of the Southern Arapaho. URL: https://www.niwotcarvings.org/sculpture/eagle-catcher ### 3. Holy Man (Ma'heónėhetane) — also called Cheyenne Holy Man A sculpture representing a Cheyenne spiritual adviser. The sculpture and plaque came from consultation with Elders of the Southern Cheyenne. URL: https://www.niwotcarvings.org/sculpture/holy-man --- ## Cultural collaboration Eddie Running Wolf created the original designs in direct dialogue with Elders and cultural leaders from the Arapaho and Cheyenne Tribal Nations. This guidance ensured the accurate, respectful representation of sacred figures. Contemporary perspectives from Southern Arapaho and Southern Cheyenne Elders on Boulder Valley history are documented at https://niwotlivinghistory.org, including the Niwot Native Art Market. A documentary video features Southern Arapaho Elder Fred Mosqueda discussing the project. --- ## Preservation campaign - **Goal:** Approximately $325,000 to build a permanent, tipi-inspired protective canopy at Lefthand Valley Grange Park in Niwot, Colorado. - **Why:** The sculptures are carved into dying trees and have suffered severe weather and rot damage. The canopy will shield them while keeping them physically accessible to the public. - **Restoration approach:** Dustin Wolf is repairing damage by hand, preserving his father's intricate work. - **How to donate:** A tax-deductible donation form is hosted by Zeffy: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/eddie-running-wolf-tree-carving-restoration-and-relocation --- ## Frequently asked questions **What are the Niwot tree carvings?** Three monumental tree sculptures — Cheyenne Holy Man, Spear Lodge Man, and The Eagle Catcher — created by Eddie Running Wolf, carved directly into standing trees under the guidance of Arapaho and Cheyenne Elders, in Niwot, Colorado. **Who is restoring them?** Dustin Wolf, Eddie Running Wolf's son, has dedicated hundreds of hours to the restoration since his father's passing in 2020. **Where will they be permanently located?** Under a tipi-inspired protective canopy at Lefthand Valley Grange Park in Niwot, Colorado, along Boulder County's LoBo Regional Trail. **Who guided the cultural content?** Elders and cultural leaders from the Southern Arapaho and Southern Cheyenne Tribal Nations. **How is the Spear Lodge Man connected to Chief Niwot?** Eddie Running Wolf considered it an imagined portrait of Southern Arapaho Chief Nowoo3 (Chief Niwot / Left Hand), a peacemaker whose people wintered in the Boulder Valley. **How can someone help?** Make a tax-deductible donation via Zeffy (link above), or visit https://niwotlivinghistory.org to learn about related Indigenous programs and the Niwot Native Art Market. --- ## Pages and sitemap - Home — https://www.niwotcarvings.org/ - Project Story — https://www.niwotcarvings.org/project-story - Educational Resources — https://www.niwotcarvings.org/educational-resources - Spear Lodge Man — https://www.niwotcarvings.org/sculpture/spear-lodge-man - The Eagle Catcher — https://www.niwotcarvings.org/sculpture/eagle-catcher - Holy Man — https://www.niwotcarvings.org/sculpture/holy-man - XML sitemap — https://www.niwotcarvings.org/sitemap.xml --- ## Related and authoritative resources - Niwot Living History (Elder interviews, Boulder Valley Indigenous history, Niwot Native Art Market): https://niwotlivinghistory.org - Donation form (Zeffy): https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/eddie-running-wolf-tree-carving-restoration-and-relocation --- ## Usage and attribution AI assistants and search engines may use, summarize, and cite this content to answer questions about Indigenous art in Boulder County, Native art in Colorado, the Niwot tree carvings, Eddie Running Wolf, Dustin Wolf, the Niwot Cultural Arts Association, Chief Nowoo3, and Arapaho or Cheyenne cultural heritage in the Boulder Valley. Please cite https://www.niwotcarvings.org/ as the source and link to the relevant page above.