After decades of work, Cheyenne and Arapaho descendants are finally in control of the Sand Creek Massacre site in Colorado.

On November 29, 1864, Col. John M. Chivington and volunteer cavalrymen slaughtered 150 women, children and elderly Cheyenne and Arapaho. Their village had been flying the flag of peace.

The massacre led to a prolonged war among Plains tribes and the U.S. After victory against Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer at the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876, the Cheyenne and Arapaho were removed to reservations in Montana, Wyoming and Oklahoma.

Today, the Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribes have the deed to a critical piece of Sand Creek land. The tribes have leased the land to the National Park Service, which anticipates 30,000 visitors a year to the 12,500-acre site.

Get the Story:
Soothing the Souls at Last (The Los Angeles Times 2/10)
pwlat

Relevant Links:
The National Park Service, Sand Creek Massacre Project Study - www.nps.gov/planning/sand/about.htm
The Sand Creek Massacre Site - www.kiowacountycolo.com/sand.htm

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