Remembering the Sand Creek Massacre

Dear DU community,
 
One hundred and fifty seven years ago, an estimated 150 Cheyenne and Arapaho children, women, and men in southeastern Colorado were slaughtered by U.S. military forces. It is one of the darkest moments in American history known as the Sand Creek Massacre.
 
It is also a reminder. Hatred, racism, and ignorance fuel—and make inevitable—unimaginable cruelty and violence. The past implores us to fervently commit to challenging these forces and the dehumanization that led to the Sand Creek Massacre and too many other atrocities. This dark day is just one reflection of the injustice and oppression Native and Indigenous peoples have been subjected to in the United States and across the world.
 
For the University of Denver, this date holds significant import, as it is also a reflection of our past. As detailed in the John Evans Report, the connection between our founders and the Sand Creek Massacre is irrefutable. Because of this, we cannot, will not, and must not forget. We will carry this history with us. We will learn from the past.
 
Today, DU, let us reflect on the Sand Creek Massacre—most especially the lives lost and the ripple effects of such pain in the memories, stories and hearts of the Cheyenne and Arapaho peoples.

Sincerely,

Jeremy Haefner
Chancellor