A moment of reflection on the 160th anniversary of the Sand Creek Massacre

Each year, we pause to reflect and remember a deeply painful moment in our nation’s history. In 1864, over 200 Cheyenne and Arapaho people—mainly women, children, and elders—were promised safety in southeast Colorado but were instead attacked and brutally killed by the U.S. military over the course of two days. 

This was the Sand Creek Massacre, and it remains one of the deadliest days in our state’s history. For all Cheyenne and Arapaho peoples—and indeed the entirety of this region’s Native American and Indigenous population—the grief and trauma of this attack continue to be deeply felt.  

We acknowledge this anniversary with solemnity, not only for its unspeakable violence, but because the massacre is directly tied to decisions made by John Evans, our university’s founder, who was the then governor of the CO territory, as well as John Chivington, who held a seat on the board of the Colorado Seminary, the institution that would eventually become the University of Denver.  

By looking back at the past, we remind ourselves that we must root out hatred with immediacy and vigor. We look back to remind ourselves that peace, diversity, equity and love require our constant protection. We look back to never forget why we work to build an environment of inclusion and respect for all people. 

Please, spend time today reflecting on the Sand Creek Massacre and its victims. Learn more about the unimaginable experiences of those we lost and how that day lives on in the minds, hearts and families of this region’s Native American and Indigenous communities—most especially the Cheyenne and Arapaho communities of Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, and Oklahoma. 

Sincerely,  

Jeremy Haefner

Chancellor