Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site

Infobox_protected_area
name = Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site
iucn_category = V

---

caption = Map of the United States
locator_x = 102
locator_y = 86
location = Kiowa County, CO, USA
nearest_city = Eads, Colorado
lat_degrees = 38
lat_minutes = 32
lat_seconds = 27
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 102
long_minutes = 31
long_seconds = 43
long_direction = W
area = 2,385 acres (9.65 km²)
established = April 27, 2007
visitation_num =
visitation_year =
governing_body = National Park Service

Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site is a National Historic Site in Kiowa County, Colorado, near Eads and Chivington commemorating the Sand Creek Massacre. The site is about convert|80|mi|km|-1 southeast of Denver. A few basic park facilities have been opened at this site. The pictured monument is very close to the actual 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 Arapahoe tribes with management to be undertaken by NPS. The National Park Service offers scheduled Ranger led programs without charge during the site's hours of operation, from 9 am - 4 pm, April 1st - December 1st, or by advance appointment in the slower winter season.

The Historical 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. On August 2, 2005, President George W. Bush gave final approval for the site. On April 23, 2007 it was announced that site would become America's 391st official park unit [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| accessdate=May 2| accessyear=2007| ] with an effective date of April 27, 2007. [cite web| url=http://frwebgate2.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/waisgate.cgi?WAISdocID=120918443288+6+0+0&WAISaction=retrieve| title=Notice of Establishment of the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site| author=Dirk Kempthorne (Federal Register Volume 72, Number 81, pp. 21048-21049)| accessdate=May 2| accessyear=2007| ] The dedication ceremony was held on April 28, 2007. [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| accessdate=May 2| accessyear=2007| ]

The authorized boundary for the National Historic Site encompasses 12,500 acres (50.6 km²). By 2004 the federal government acquired convert|920|acre|km2|1 from private land owners. 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 [cite web| url=http://frwebgate2.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/waisgate.cgi?WAISdocID=120918443288+6+0+0&WAISaction=retrieve| title=Notice of Establishment of the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site| author=Dirk Kempthorne (Federal Register Volume 72, Number 81, pp. 21048-21049)| accessdate=May 2| accessyear=2007| ] bringing the total area to convert|2385|acre|km2|0.

References

External links

* [http://www.nps.gov/sand/index.htm Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site] - National Park Service
* [http://www.sandcreektours.com/ Sand Creek Tours] - tours of the massacre site on the Bowen cattle ranch
* [http://www.conservationfund.org/?article=2777 The Conservation Fund] - Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site