Brighton in Adams County, Colorado — The American Mountains (Southwest)
Courage to Lead
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 31, 2022
1. Courage to Lead Marker
National Sculptors Guild
City of Brighton Colorado
May 2002
The night before an important event the tribe would gather around the pow wow circle chanting. The members of the Society of the Sacred Arrow would rush into the center of the ring and shoot arrows into the sky. Then, with a show of bravery, they would stand still as the arrows came back to Earth. Each member was unafraid because of his strong belief that the cause was right and that the Great Spirit was with him. This display of courage was a great morale boost to the tribe members and it often placed the members of the Society of the Sacred Arrow in the role of leaders.
Erected 2002 by City of Brighton Colorado.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Indigenous Peoples and Communities.
Location. 39° 59.197′ N, 104° 49.076′ W. Marker is in Brighton, Colorado, in Adams County. It is at the intersection of South 4th Avenue and East 160th Avenue (East Bridge Street) (State Highway 7), on the right when traveling north on South 4th Avenue. The
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Regionally, this marker is in Colorado’s Front Range. It is also in the American Mountain West. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Louisiana Purchase.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 11 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Historic City Hall (within shouting distance of this marker); Dailys Tree House (approx. 0.2 miles away); Dedicated to the Pioneer Spirit of our Early Settlers (approx. Ό mile away); Colorado Centennial Project (approx. 0.3 miles away); 1886 Church (approx. 0.3 miles away); Fort Lupton (approx. 7.7 miles away); Columbine Mine / Coal Field Country (approx. 10.3 miles away); Northglenn Veterans Memorial (approx. 10.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Brighton.
Also see . . . Courage to Lead, by Denny Haskew (National Sculptors' Guild).
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 31, 2022
2. Courage to Lead Marker
The marker is mounted on a vertical stone slab overlooking the sculpture. The South 4th Avenue & East Bridge Street intersection is in the background.
Excerpt: This one and a quarter life-size bronze sculpture was introduced in May of 1993 and won the Western Regional Show, Cheyenne, WY, the Peoples Choice Award at Hillside Sculpture Invitational, and the Sculpture Award at the Red Earth Invitational Art Show. In the creation of this artwork, Denny drew upon historical research after being told stories about the Society of the Sacred Arrow. This Society existed among many of the Plains Indian tribes. Among other tribes, the Crow, the Arapaho and the Cheyenne were known to perform the Sacred Arrow Ceremony.(Submitted on November 30, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)The sculpture is placed upon Dakota Sandstone taken from the foothills. The sandstone used was created 70 million years ago. Dakota Sandstone occasionally appears on the plains in jutting outcroppings and bluffs. Plains Native Americans used it for structural purposes in religious dwellings. The design team of NSG Fellow Haskew and JK Designs Principal Kinkade has stacked 20 tons of this stone to create the suggestion of such an outcropping. The vertical stone holds a bronze plaque of explanation and commemoration.
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 31, 2022
3. Courage to Lead Sculpture
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 31, 2022
4. Courage to Lead Marker
Historic Brighton City Hall is in the background.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 30, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 29, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 61 times since then and 35 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on November 30, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
