Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site: Difference between revisions

| location = [[Kiowa County, Colorado|Kiowa County]], [[Colorado]], United States

| coordinates = {{coord|38|32|27|N|102|31|43|W|formatdisplay=dmsit|displayformat=inline,titledec}}

'''Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site''' is a [[National Historic Sites (United States)|National Historic Site]] in [[Kiowa County, Colorado]], nearcommemorating the [[Eads,Sand Colorado|EadsCreek Massacre]] andthat [[Chivington,occurred Colorado|Chivington]]here inon [[KiowaNovember County29, Colorado|Kiowa1864. County]]The commemoratingsite is considered sacred after the unprovoked assault on an encampment of approximately 750 [[SandNative CreekAmericans Massacrein the United States|Native people]] thatresulted occurredin herethe onmurder Novemberof 29hundreds of men, 1864women and children. Near The[[Eads, Colorado|Eads]] and [[Chivington, Colorado|Chivington]], the site is about {{convert|170|mi|km|-1}} southeast of [[Denver]] and about {{convert|125|mi|km|-1}} east of [[Pueblo, Colorado|Pueblo]]. A few basic park facilities have been opened at this site.

In 1999, archaeological teams from the National Park Service, Dept. of the Interior BLM, Colorado Historical Society and accompanied by Native American observers, made a major archaeological discovery of remains of the massacre site. Large numbers of period bullets, camp equipment, and other items convinced the NPS that they had found the correct site. Subsequent transfers of ownership from the Dawson family, former owners of the property have left the title of the site to the [[Cheyenne]] and [[Arapaho]] tribes with management to be undertaken by NPS. The National Park Service offers scheduled Ranger-led programs without charge during hours of operation, from 9 am – 4 pm, April 1 – December 1, or by advance appointment in the winter season.

The HistoricalHistoric Site was authorized by Public Law 106-465 on November 7, 2000, in order to "recognize the national significance of the massacre in American history, and its ongoing significance to the [[Cheyenne]] and [[Arapaho]] people and the descendants of the massacre victims." The law authorized establishment of the site once the [[National Park Service]] acquired sufficient land from willing sellers to preserve, commemorate, and interpret the massacre. The site near the junction of County Road 54 and County Road "W" was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] on September 28, 2001. The Onsite Augustcontains 2,a 2005,small Presidentvisitor [[Georgecenter, W.interpretive Bush]]plaques gave final approval for the site. On Apriland 23signage, 2007monuments itlocated wason announceda thathilltop site would become America's 391st [[List ofoverlooking the Unitedmassacre States National Park System official units|official park unit]]<ref>{{cite web| url=http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/printheadline.cfm?type=PressReleases&id=735| title=Secretary Kempthorne Creates Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site| author=U.S. Dept. of Interior| access-date=May 2site, 2007|and author-link=Unitedtwo States Department of the Interior}}</ref> with an effective date of April 27,walking 2007trails.<ref name="DirkNPS KempthorneInterpretive Federal Register Volume 72, Number 81, pp. 21048-21049 2007Pamphlet">{{cite web|book url=http://frwebgate2.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/waisgate.cgi?WAISdocID=120918443288+6+0+0&WAISaction=retrieve| archive-url=https://archive.today/20120509185157/http://frwebgate2.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/waisgate.cgi?WAISdocID=120918443288+6+0+0&WAISaction=retrieve| url-status=dead| archive-date=May 9, 2012| title=Notice of Establishment of the Sand Creek Massacre NationalSite HistoricPamphlet Site|date=2017 author|publisher=[[DirkGovernment Kempthorne]]Printing (FederalOffice Register Volume 72, Number 81, pp. 21048-21049)| access-datelocation=May 2Washington, 2007D.C.}}</ref> The dedicationmassacre ceremonysite wasitself heldis onoff-limits Aprilto 28, 2007visitors.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.nps.gov/sand/planyourvisit/upload/towngenda.pdf| title=Sand Creek Massacre NHS Dedication, Schedule of Events| author=[[National Park Service]]| access-date=May 2, 2007}}</ref>

Currently, the site encompasses {{convert|12,583|acre|km2}} of which {{convert|2,385|acre|km2}} are federally owned.<ref name="area"/>{{Update inline|date=October 2022|reason=2022 expansion}} By 2004, the federal government acquired {{convert|920|acre|km2|1}} from private land ownerslandowners. On September 9, 2006, the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma conveyed to the United States title to {{convert|1465|acre|km2|0}} to be held in trust for the National Historic Site.<ref name="Dirk Kempthorne Federal Register Volume 72, Number 81, pp. 21048-21049 2007"/> The site includes {{convert|640 |acres}} acquired and preserved by the [[American Battlefield Trust]] and its partners.<ref>[https://www.battlefields.org/preserve/saved-land] Land Saved by the [[American Battlefield Trust]], accessed May 18, 2018.</ref>