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Finding Sand Creek: History, Archeology, and the 1864 Massacre Site
Finding Sand Creek History Archeology and the 1864 Massacre Site Author:Jerome A. Greene, Douglas D. Scott At dawn on November 29, 1864, more than seven hundred U.S. volunteer troops, commanded by Colonel John M. Chivington, attacked a Southern Cheyenne and Arapahp village along Sand Creek in southeastern Colorado Territory. As the troops approached, the Cheyenne chief Black Kettle waved the flag of peace, but to not avail. Over the course of seven h... more »ours, the soldiers killed at least 150 Indian, men, women, and children. Since that day the Sand Creek Massacre has remained one of the most disturbing and controversial events in American history.
While itshistorical significance is undisputed, the exact location of the massacre has been less clear. Because the site is sacred ground for Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians, the question of its location is more than academic; it is intensely personal and spiritual. In 1998 the National Park Service, under congressional direction, began a research program to verify the location of the site. In Finding Sand Creek, the project's leading historian and leading archeologist tell the story of how this dedicated group of people used a variety of methods to pinpoint the site. Their team study led to legislation in 2000 that established the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site. Although debate about the massacre will continue, establishing its location ensures that sand creek will never be forgotten and that its importance to the victims and descendants will be honored.« less