|
|
Sand Creek Massacre National
Historical Site
| IN 2008 AND 2009, THE SAND
CREEK MASSACRE NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE WILL BE OPEN 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
EACH DAY FROM APRIL 1st TO DECEMBER 1ST
(OFF SEASON, TOURS MAY BE SCHEDULED WITH 3
WEEKS NOTICE, OR AS STAFF ARE AVAILABLE)
CAMPING IS NOT ALLOWED AT THE SAND CREEK
MASSACRE NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE.
CAUTION LARGE VEHICLES AND MOTORCYCLISTS:
THERE IS APPROXIMATELY 8 MILES OF DIRT/SAND ROADS LEADING TO THE
SITE. |
For more
detailed information please visit the official
Sand Creek
Massacre National Historic Site Park Service Website
Driving Directions to the Sand Creek Massacre National Historical Site
Kiowa County & Sand Creek Massacre NHS
- Longest Walk II comes to Eads
April 2008Longest Walk participants embarked
earlier this year on a 5 month journey from San Francisco to Washington,
D.C. planning arrive on July 11th. The Longest Walk II is a Native
American and non-Native American grassroots effort on a national level
to bring attention to environmental concerns, issues affecting sacred
sites, and to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the original longest
walk, in 1978. Walkers reached the community of Eads, Colorado on April
3rd, staying until the 7th. Volunteers served meals to the walkers,
singers from a Lakota drum group performed during a community potluck, a
special art event was held by Artists of the Plains Gallery, and the
group took part in tree planting at Jackson Pond. Planning and event
response in consultation with the local community, involved many Kiowa
County participants including the Commissioners, the Economic
Development Foundation, Chamber of Commerce, Sheriff's Office, Fire
Department, Emergency Medical Services, Division of Emergency
Management, local churches, and the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes.
Coordinated efforts produced a safe and successful event, resulting in a
ceremonial honoring and special thanks from the Longest Walk II for all
of the work and generosity of community partners as listed above
including the Mayor and the National Park Service.
|
|
Intermountain Region News Release
General
Management Planning Meetings set for the
Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site
DENVER – Public Participation in
developing a General Management Plan for the Sand Creek Massacre
National Historic Site (NHS) will be the focus of a series of public
meetings scheduled during the next three months in Colorado and
Wyoming.
General Management Plans are
comprehensive documents the National Park Service uses to guide the
long-term development and operations of national park units.
At the meetings representatives from
the National Park Service will review the public comments received
to date, outline the steps in the planning process, review the
schedule for the plan’s completion and provide additional
opportunities for individuals to express their comments about the
park’s operations.
The Sand Creek Massacre NHS is
located in southeast Colorado near Eads. It is the newest unit of
the National Park Service and was authorized by Congress in 2000 to
recognize the national significance of the 1864 massacre of Cheyenne
and Arapaho people by members of the 1st and 3rd
Colorado Volunteers , and the continued significance of the site to
the Cheyenne and Arapaho people and descendents of the massacre
victims.
The initial public meeting schedule
is:
| |
Tuesday, February 19,
2008, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Kiowa County Courthouse
Community Room
1305 Goff St.
Eads, Colorado |
Wednesday, March 5, 2008, 6 – 8
p.m.
Holiday Inn
900 E. Sunset Dr.
Riverton, Wyoming
Wednesday, April 2, 2008, 6 – 8
p.m.
Colorado Historical Society
1300 Broadway
Denver, Colorado
Additional public meetings in Montana
and Oklahoma will be scheduled at a later date.
For more information please contact James Doyle at 303-969-2321.
|
|
Sand Creek Massacre NHS 2007
Season
By Craig Moore - Park Ranger
The Park closed for the winter
season on December 1. The park will re-open, full-time, beginning April
1, 2008. Off season visits may be arranged by calling the park
three-weeks in advance. Access to the site and length of programs will
be determined by staff availability and forecasted weather/driving
conditions.
The park will begin its
General Management Plan process this winter. Community meetings are
being scheduled for locations in Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, and
Oklahoma. Of course, the out of state schedules are in conjunction with
Cheyenne and Arapaho tribal communities/partners. The GMP efforts are
expected to continue throughout FY 2008 and into FY 2009.
Highlights of our initial
season have included 157 on-site interpretive programs. Special on-site
programs have included the Grand Junction Welcome Center staff, the
Southwest Missouri State University summer institute, several family
reunions, and visits by a half-dozen primary school classes. The site
also helped host the Sand Creek Massacre NHS cultural event for RMRO
staff on August 1. Of course, the premier event for the site was our
dedication program on April 28.
| June
visits: |
289 |
| July
visits: |
233 |
| August
visits: |
179 |
| September
visits: |
428 |
| October
visits: |
337 |
| November
visits: |
210 |
|
|
1676 |
|
|
Sand Creek Massacre Goes to
Winter Schedule
By Craig Moore
The Sand Creek Massacre
National Historic Site has announced the site is now closed for the
winter. The park will resume its full schedule beginning on April 1,
2008.
Special requests for access onto the site during the winter may be
arranged by calling the park at least three weeks in advance. Access
will be determined based on staff/ranger availability and forecasted
weather conditions.
The Sand Creek Massacre
National Historic Site opened on June 1, 2007. The park has been open on
a limited basis of Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. To date, the site
has been visited by 1,900 people.
The site plans to offer an
expanded schedule, with additional services beginning in 2008.
For further information about
the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site, please visit
www.nps.gov/sand, or call the park at (719) 438-5916 or (719)
383-5051.
|
|
Sand Creek
Massacre NPS
News
Release
October 23, 2007
Firewood Available at Sand Creek Site
By Craig Moore
Due to the success of initial
firewood gathering, and continued interest, The Sand Creek Massacre
National Historic Site (NHS) has announced that firewood will again be
available, and can be picked up at the site from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm,
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, November 2-4, 2007.
This is cottonwood that has
been gathered along Sand Creek, and averages 6-10 inches in diameter. it
has been previously cut to average lengths of 4-6 foot. Chain saws are
not necessary. No fee will be charged, although a collection permit must
be signed. The firewood is piled alongside a dirt road approximately ˝
mile north of the park’s main entrance gate.
Since this will probably be
the last opportunity to gather wood at the site this year, the park
encourages everyone to take advantage before supplies run out.
To schedule access, obtain a
permit, and for further information about gathering firewood at the
site, please contact ranger Karl Zimmermann at (719) 383-5014.
The Sand Creek Massacre NHS
remains open for the season Friday-Sunday through December 1, 2007. For
additional information, please visit the park’s website at
www.nps.gov/sand/.
|
|
Sand Creek
Massacre NPS
News Release
September 28, 2007
Firewood Available at Sand Creek Site
By Craig Moore
The Sand Creek Massacre
National Historic Site (NHS) has announced that firewood can be picked
up at the site from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., October 1-4, 2007.
This is cottonwood that has
been gathered along Sand Creek, and averages 6-10 inches in diameter,
and has been previously cut to average lengths of 4-6 foot. Chain saws
are not necessary. No fee will be charged, although a collection permit
must be signed. The firewood is piled alongside a dirt road
approximately ˝ mile north of the park’s main entrance gate.
To schedule access and obtain
a permit, please contact ranger Karl Zimmermann at (719) 383-5014.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In other park news, general
management planning for the Sand Creek Massacre NHS will begin later
this fall. These plans will provide a foundation for interpretation,
facilities, natural and cultural resources, and management operations.
Opportunities for public involvement with these plans will be announced
during the coming months.
The Sand Creek Massacre NHS
remains open for the season Friday-Sunday through December 1, 2007. For
additional information, please visit the park’s website at
www.nps.gov/sand/.
|
|
SAND Creek Massacre National Historic Site
Development Overview, Summer/Fall 2007
When the Sand Creek
Massacre NHS opened on June 1, there had been, and were ongoing, a
number of efforts to help protect, preserve, and interpret the park.
Foremost among these was the partial fencing, and maintenance of an
interpretive walking trail from the parking area to the monument hill.
This trail is approximately 7/10 of a mile long, and takes on the
average, 15 minutes to walk. Placed along the trail at intervals are
three interpretive panels engineered by art design classes at
CU-Denver. The three panels are labeled 1) Prelude To Attack, 2) The
Attack, and 3) The Camps.
Also placed along
the trail, at intervals, are wooden post and rail fences. These help to
control/limit access to prohibited and sacred areas, and clearly mark a
path to the monument. At other high impact areas along the trail, gates
have been put up to further control access and limit vehicle use.
Visitors, upon
entering the park, are contacted at a well-marked and otherwise
well-defined parking area. Here, basic orientation is provided to
visitors along with safety messages and additional information as
needed.
Throughout the
summer, ranger-led history talks have been provided every Friday,
Saturday, and Sunday at 10:30 AM, 1:00 PM, and 2:30 PM. Beginning in
early October, the program schedule was changed to 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM
programs. These talks have proved popular and generally last 30-50
minutes each. Various themes and goals are provided, thereby helping to
enhance the public’s appreciation and knowledge of the park.
As visitors drive to
the park, well-marked, and visible directional signs have been erected
by the Colorado Department of Transportation. These signs are located
at Colorado State Highways 96 and 287, and at Colorado State Highway 96
and County Road 54. The National Park Service has augmented these signs
with additional directions posted at intervals, along County Roads 54
and 59, and County Road W. It is anticipated that the park will have a
permanent identity sign in place, near the site entrance, by Spring
2008.
Pending the
completion a modular office, a large barn has, and is being renovated.
The barn to date, has served as a combination “contact station”,
employee office, and maintenance/resource storage facility. Inside the
barn are stored flyers; rack cards; maps and brochures; cancellation
stamps; visitor use and daily/monthly statistic records; medicines and
cold water; carpentry and electrical supplies; grounds maintenance
tools, vehicles, and supplies; radios, and an assortment of emergency
and fire fighting supplies.
Overall, the site
has experienced few, if any emergency situations. Heat prostration and
the potential hazards of severe weather may pose immediate threats.
Concerns include snake-bites, stinging insects, and allergic reactions
to plant and weed contact.
The creation of a
General Management Plan will be a tremendous benefit to the site. The
GMP will provide guidelines and regulations that will help to augment
and improve, perhaps dramatically, existing conditions at the site.
|
|
Sand Creek
Massacre NPS
News
Release
September 18,2007
New Superintendent Announced for Sand Creek Site
Alden
Miller-Photo Courtesy of NPS
By NPS
Alden Miller, a 13-year
veteran of the National Park Service, has been named superintendent for
the recently established Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site near
Eads, Colorado.
As superintendent, Miller will oversee
operations at the massacre site and assist with the development of
interpretive features in consultation with NPS staff, affiliated tribal
members and other partners. He succeeds Alexa Roberts, who will remain
associated with the site as Southeast Colorado Group Superintendent with
administrative authority for Bent’s Old Fort and Sand Creek Massacre
National Historic Sites and Capulin Volcano National Monument in New
Mexico.
Sand Creek Massacre NHS marks the third
developing NPS site where Miller has served, including the Oklahoma City
National Memorial and Washita Battlefield National Historic Site.
“Alden’s return to the Intermountain Region
comes at a pivotal time,” said regional director Mike Snyder. “He has
experience with developing new sites and will work well to achieve
results with all of our partners.”
Since 1994, Miller has worked in the divisions
of natural and cultural resources, facilities management, interpretation
and education, cultural demonstrations, historic preservation trades,
and law enforcement at national park sites that include Washita
Battlefield NHS, Oklahoma City NM, San Antonio Missions NHP, Little
Bighorn Battlefield NM, and Minuteman NHP. He served management trainee
assignments at several locations, including the Alaska Regional Office
in Anchorage, and Mount Rushmore NM in Keystone, South Dakota.
“I feel humbled and excited to have been chosen
for this responsibility,” said Miller, who most recently served as chief
of interpretation, education and visitor operations at Sitka National
Historical Park in Alaska.
Prior to his National Park Service career,
Miller was honorably discharged from military service, worked in law
enforcement and as a human rights and civil liberties advocate, and
undertook a variety of apprenticeships in the artisan trades. He
graduated with honors from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst,
with an emphasis in human relations and justice studies. Miller is
married and has two daughters.
Contact Information
Name: Patricia Turley
Phone Number: 303-969-2701
Email: patricia_turley@nps.gov
Alexa Roberts, a 13-year
veteran of the National Park Service, and out-going Superintendent at
Sand Creek, has been named superintendent of Bent’s Old Fort National
Historic Site and the Southeast Colorado Group Superintendent which
includes Bent’s Old Fort, Sand Creek Massacre and Capulin Volcano
National Historic Sites. Roberts will remain actively involved at Sand
Creek and will continue to reside in Eads.
|
|
Sand Creek
Massacre NPS
News Release
April 30, 2007
June 1 opening set for
National Historic Site
The Sand Creek Massacre National Historic
Site will open to the public on a limited basis beginning June 1, 2007.
The park will be open 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM., Friday-Sunday. Ranger-led
history talks will be held each day at 10:30 AM, and 1:00 and 2:30 PM.
Prior to June 1, the National Park
Service will continue planning for the site. It is anticipated that
signage, trails, and other limited services will be in-place by June 1.
The site was recently dedicated as the
391st unit of the nation’s National Park system.
For information about the Sand Creek
Massacre National Historic Site, please call the park at 719.383.5051 or
719.438.5916. Please visit the park’s website at
www.nps.gov/sand/ for updates and additional park news.
|
|
Sand Creek
Massacre National
Historical Site Dedication
|
A celebration will be
held April 28 - 29, 2007 in Kiowa County to celebrate the
dedication of the Sand Creek Massacre National Historical
Site Dedication.
For more information
on this event click
here. |
|
SAND
CREEK MASSACRE NATIONAL HISTORIC
SITE QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
| 1. |
Where is the site located? |
|
It is located in Kiowa County,
Colorado, near the junction of County Roads 54 and W.
|
| 2. |
Is the site open to the public? |
|
Yes. The site was opened to the
public as of 6-01-07.
|
| 3. |
When will the site be opened? |
|
The site opened 6-01-07
|
| 4. |
How many acres does the National Historic Site Include?
|
|
The National Park Service manages 2,400
acres. |
| 5. |
How many acres are currently owned by
the national Park Service?
|
|
Congress has authorized 12,500 acres. |
| 6. |
Who owns the rest of the land?
|
|
All other land within the authorized site
is in private, or state ownership. |
| 7. |
What is “Trust Land”? |
|
In this case, “trust land” within the
Sand Creek Massacre NHS means that the Southern Cheyenne & Arapaho Tribes of
Oklahoma remain the ‘beneficial owners’ of the land, but the United States is
charged with the responsibility of managing the land for the cultural,
historical, and traditional benefit of the tribes. Unlike trust lands within
tribal reservations, the trust land within Sand Creek Massacre NHS is
specifically to be managed according to laws governing national parks, and does
not include commercial development.
|
| 8. |
What will the National Park Service do
with the site? |
|
The NPS will help preserve, protect,
interpret, commemorate, and memorialize the site for future generations
according to its authorizing legislation (P.L. 106-465).
|
| 9. |
Who will be involved in planning the
future of the site? |
|
All four Northern and Southern Cheyenne & Arapaho Tribes, the State of
Colorado, Kiowa County, the National Park Service, and the general
public. Opportunities for public involvement in the planning
process will be announced when planning begins.
|
| 10. |
Where do I get more information?
|
|
www.nps.gov/sand
or call:
719-438-5916
719-729-3003
719-383-5051
|
Legislative History
of the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site:
§
October 6, 1998: Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site Study
Act
(P.L. 105-243)
§
November 7, 2000:
Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site Establishment Act
(P.L. 106-465)
§
August 2, 2005:
Sand Creek Massacre National Historic
Site Trust Act (P.L. 109-45)
Additional Information
& Links
|
|
Northern Arapaho
Tribe
Northern Cheyenne Sand
Creek Massacre Site Project
Cheyenne and
Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma
Eyewitness Account of the Sand Creek Massacre
One Overview of the Massacre
There are also many written accounts
of the
Sand Creek Massacre such as:
Most Recommended
Sand Creek Massacre
by Stan Hoig
Sand Creek:
Tragedy & Symbol
by Gary Roberts
Sand Creek
Massacre Site Location Study
by National Park Service
Other Titles
The Indians of
the Pike's Peak Region (1914)
by Irving Howbert
Memories of a
Lifetime in the Pike's Peak Region (1925)
by Irving Howbert
From Sand Creek
by Simon J. Ortiz
The Massacre at
Sand Creek: Narrative Voices
by Bruce Cutler
Cheyenne
Memories
by John Stands in Timber & Margot Liberty
Out of the Sand
Creek Massacre
by Nellie O. Jackson
Month of the
Freezing Moon: The Sand Creek Massacre, 1864
by Duane Schultz
Song of Sorrow: Massacre at Sand Creek
by Patrick Mendoza
Blood at Sand Creek: The Massacre Revisited
by Bob Scott
The Fighting Cheyenne
by George Bird Grinnell
I Stand By Sand Creek
by William R. Dunn
The Sand Creek Fight
by Fred Werner
Life
of George Bent
by George Hyde
Battle at Sand
Creek: The Military Perspective
by Gregory F. Michno
The Indian Wars of 1864 through the Sand Creek Massacre
by Scott C. Williams
(A series of articles from the
Rocky Mountain News)
|
|
|
