Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) promised to work more closely with tribes as the 150th anniversary of the Sand Creek Massacre approaches.

Hickenlooper announced a memorandum of agreement with the Northern Cheyenne Tribe of Montana, the Northern Arapaho Tribe of Wyoming and the Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma. The tribes will be consulted by History Colorado, a state agency, about exhibits and public education efforts.

Hickenlooper also created the Sand Creek Massacre Commemoration Commission. The group will coordinate 150th anniversary events.

“The MOA and the joint commission create an avenue for statewide collaboration, communication and coordination to educate the public about the Cheyenne and Arapaho people and the history of the Sand Creek Massacre,” Hickenlooper said in a press release. “Both will serve to strengthen our ongoing relationship with the tribes, honor their history, celebrate their culture and most importantly prevent horrific acts such as these from ever occurring again.”

On the morning of November 29, 1864, U.S. Army soldiers attacked a Cheyenne and Arapaho village. They killed upwards of 200 people, mostly women, children and the elderly.

Get the Story:
Sand Creek Massacre commission, tribe agreement announcement a long time coming (Westword 3/17)
Museum to Consult with Native Americans (AP 3/18)

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