Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site in southeastern Colorado preserves the location where, on November 29, 1864, approximately 675 U.S. volunteer soldiers attacked a peaceful encampment of Cheyenne and Arapaho people, killing an estimated 150 to 200 men, women, children, and elders. The village, led by Chiefs Black Kettle and Left Hand, had been assured of safety by U.S. military officials, and an American flag and a white flag of surrender flew over the camp during the attack. The massacre was condemned by some contemporaries, including a Congressional investigation, but no perpetrators were prosecuted. The site was designated a national historic site in 2007 after extensive consultation with descendants of the Cheyenne and Arapaho victims, who participated in identifying the massacre location.
📚 Learn More at NPSHistory.com →Sand Creek Massacre NHS in CO preserves a piece of American history that the public has trusted the National Park Service to protect and interpret. The interpretive materials at this site have been developed over years by historians, subject-matter experts, and park staff — and are now being reviewed under Secretary's Order 3431.
Why this matters: Sand Creek Massacre NHS is part of a network of over 400 national parks that serve as America's classrooms. The interpretive materials here were developed by subject-matter experts to help visitors understand the full story of this place. When historically accurate content is removed, the public loses access to its own history.
Numerous wayside panels have out of date graphics orsunbleach damage and are partly unreadable. One panel needs redesign so as to redsuce the likelyhood of continued persistent vandalism.
Long before Sand Creek Massacre NHS became a national park, this land was home to Indigenous peoples whose connection to it spans thousands of years. The interpretive materials now being reviewed tell their story — often developed through years of formal tribal consultation, as required by federal law.
Among the content targeted: “Night March to Sand Creek” — language that the administration has flagged for review under its directive to review historically accurate interpretive materials.
Why this matters: The Indigenous history presented at Sand Creek Massacre NHS was developed through formal tribal consultation — a legal requirement under federal law. The language being reviewed was often specifically requested by tribal nations whose ancestors lived on this land for thousands of years. Revising it without renewed consultation would violate both the spirit and the letter of that process.
This wayside exhibit panel, entitled “Night March to Sand Creek” prominently features a photograph of Colonel John Chivington. This panel is located at an orientation pullout along a county road and has unmonitored visitor access 24 hours a day. Because of the open access of this location, the picture of John Chivington is often a target for vandalism, leading to the regular replacement of this panel due to damage.
This and all other wayside exhibits at SAND have gone through an extensive tribal consultation process, as required by the park's enabling legislation, Public Law 106-465. A wayside exhibit replacement project is currently formulated for FY26, and relocating the picture of John Chivington to a location elsewhere in the park less likely to be vandalized is a high priority.
Long before Sand Creek Massacre NHS became a national park, this land was home to Indigenous peoples whose connection to it spans thousands of years. The interpretive materials now being reviewed tell their story — often developed through years of formal tribal consultation, as required by federal law.
From the internal review records: “Two panels feature a sepia toned parchment background and cursive fonts. These panels provide the unedited text of two letters written by massacre participants describing what they witnessed. As they presently exist they are difficult to read. A third panel served as an introduction to the two letters and is text heavy. The fourth panel directs visitors to look toward the park's maintenance build ...”
Why this matters: The Indigenous history presented at Sand Creek Massacre NHS was developed through formal tribal consultation — a legal requirement under federal law. The language being reviewed was often specifically requested by tribal nations whose ancestors lived on this land for thousands of years. Revising it without renewed consultation would violate both the spirit and the letter of that process.
These four exhibit panels are located in the primary visitor orientation area. Three of them date to the beginning of park operations in 2008 and do not meet NPS graphic design standards.
Two panels feature a sepia toned parchment background and cursive fonts. These panels provide the unedited text of two letters written by massacre participants describing what they witnessed. As they presently exist they are difficult to read. A third panel served as an introduction to the two letters and is text heavy. The fourth panel directs visitors to look toward the park's maintenance build and needs to be revised and relocated to a more appropriate location within the park, probably at the village overlook area. The final panel is an orientation to the park that features an obsolete park map with an incorrect legal boundary shown.
The two panels that display the text of letters written in 1864 by Silas Soule and Joseph Cramer are especially important to our Tribal partners and representatives, and at their request these panels repeat the full text of each letter.
These and all other wayside exhibits at SAND have gone through an extensive tribal consultation process, as required by the ...
Long before Sand Creek Massacre NHS became a national park, this land was home to Indigenous peoples whose connection to it spans thousands of years. The interpretive materials now being reviewed tell their story — often developed through years of formal tribal consultation, as required by federal law.
From the internal review records: “These and all other wayside exhibits at SAND have gone through an extensive tribal consultation process, as required by the park's enabling legislation, Public Law 106-465. A wayside exhibit replacement project is currently formulated for FY26 in which all wayside exhibits in the park will be reviewed for content and redesigned along with renewed Tribal consultation.”
Why this matters: The Indigenous history presented at Sand Creek Massacre NHS was developed through formal tribal consultation — a legal requirement under federal law. The language being reviewed was often specifically requested by tribal nations whose ancestors lived on this land for thousands of years. Revising it without renewed consultation would violate both the spirit and the letter of that process.
These exhibit panels are located along the park's Monument Hill Trail. Some of the panels utilize maps and graphics that are difficult to read, no longer accurate due to boundary changes, or do not meet the NPS design standard.
These and all other wayside exhibits at SAND have gone through an extensive tribal consultation process, as required by the park's enabling legislation, Public Law 106-465. A wayside exhibit replacement project is currently formulated for FY26 in which all wayside exhibits in the park will be reviewed for content and redesigned along with renewed Tribal consultation.
Long before Sand Creek Massacre NHS became a national park, this land was home to Indigenous peoples whose connection to it spans thousands of years. The interpretive materials now being reviewed tell their story — often developed through years of formal tribal consultation, as required by federal law.
From the internal review records: “These and all other wayside exhibits at SAND have gone through an extensive tribal consultation process, as required by the park's enabling legislation, Public Law 106-465. A wayside exhibit replacement project is currently formulated for FY26 in which all wayside exhibits in the park will be reviewed for content and redesigned along with renewed Tribal consultation.”
Why this matters: The Indigenous history presented at Sand Creek Massacre NHS was developed through formal tribal consultation — a legal requirement under federal law. The language being reviewed was often specifically requested by tribal nations whose ancestors lived on this land for thousands of years. Revising it without renewed consultation would violate both the spirit and the letter of that process.
These ten exhibit panels are located along the park's Bluff Trail. Some of the panels utilize maps and graphics that are difficult to read, no longer accurate due to boundary changes, or do not meet the NPS design standard.
These and all other wayside exhibits at SAND have gone through an extensive tribal consultation process, as required by the park's enabling legislation, Public Law 106-465. A wayside exhibit replacement project is currently formulated for FY26 in which all wayside exhibits in the park will be reviewed for content and redesigned along with renewed Tribal consultation.
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