House Joint Resolution 25-1024
Page 1, Line 101Concerning the installation on the state capitol grounds of
Page 1, Line 102a memorial to the victims of the Sand Creek Massacre
Page 1, Line 103of November 29, 1864.
Page 1, Line 1WHEREAS, Colorado is the traditional homeland of the Cheyenne and Arapaho people; and
Page 1, Line 2
Page 1, Line 3WHEREAS, In 1864, bands of Cheyenne and Arapaho people
Page 1, Line 4were directed to move to a camping location on Big Sandy Creek, also
Page 1, Line 5known as Sand Creek, which was within their ratified treaty lands near present-day Eads, Colorado; and
Page 1, Line 6
Page 1, Line 7WHEREAS, Cheyenne and Arapaho Chiefs had engaged in peace
Page 1, Line 8talks with the United States government, and the approximately 750
Page 1, Line 9Cheyenne and Arapaho people at Sand Creek, including the camps of
Page 2, Line 1Chiefs Black Kettle, White Antelope, and Left Hand, believed that they would not come to harm where they were settled at Sand Creek; and
Page 2, Line 2
Page 2, Line 3WHEREAS, On November 29, 1864, as approximately 675 United
Page 2, Line 4States Colorado Volunteer soldiers approached the encampment at Sand
Page 2, Line 5Creek, Chief Black Kettle raised an American flag and a white flag of
Page 2, Line 6peace on a lodge pole, as he had been instructed to by military leaders; and
Page 2, Line 7
Page 2, Line 8WHEREAS, Despite assurance to the Cheyenne and Arapaho
Page 2, Line 9people that they would be safe under the American flag, and despite the
Page 2, Line 10symbols of peace displayed by Chief Black Kettle, United States soldiers
Page 2, Line 11from the 1st Colorado Volunteer Cavalry and the 3rd Colorado Volunteer
Page 2, Line 12Cavalry, commanded by Colonel John Chivington, attacked the encampment at Sand Creek; and
Page 2, Line 13
Page 2, Line 14WHEREAS, Colonel Chivington ordered his troops to take no
Page 2, Line 15prisoners, killing about 230 Cheyenne and Arapaho people, mostly women, children, and the elderly; and
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Page 2, Line 17WHEREAS, After the massacre, Colonel Chivington and his
Page 2, Line 18troops paraded scalps and other mutilated body parts through downtown Denver; and
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Page 2, Line 20WHEREAS, Captain Silas Soule of the 1st Colorado Volunteer
Page 2, Line 21Cavalry was so disturbed by what he witnessed at Sand Creek that he
Page 2, Line 22wrote a letter to his superior that played a pivotal role in investigations led
Page 2, Line 23by a military commission, a Special Joint Committee, and the
Page 2, Line 24Congressional Joint Committee on the Conduct of War, leading to condemnation of the Sand Creek Massacre at all three hearings; and
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Page 2, Line 26WHEREAS, The Sand Creek Massacre of November 29, 1864,
Page 2, Line 27forever altered the Cheyenne and Arapaho way of life; severely impacted
Page 2, Line 28the traditional knowledge, language, social structures, ceremonies, songs,
Page 2, Line 29language, and governing councils of the Cheyenne and Arapaho people; and profoundly influenced United States-tribal relations; and
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Page 2, Line 31WHEREAS, In 1909, almost 50 years after the Sand Creek
Page 2, Line 32Massacre, the state erected and unveiled a monument entitled "On Guard"
Page 2, Line 33and commonly known as the "Union Soldier" or the "Civil War
Page 2, Line 34monument", dedicated to Colorado soldiers who fought in the Civil War;
Page 2, Line 35and
Page 3, Line 1WHEREAS, Designed by Captain John D. Howland, a frontier
Page 3, Line 2artist and veteran of the Union Army, the Civil War monument consists
Page 3, Line 3of a bronze statue of a Civil War soldier standing on a stone base with
Page 3, Line 4bronze plaques that reference facts and dates about Colorado Territory
Page 3, Line 5and statehood, the names and dates of Colorado soldiers who died in the
Page 3, Line 6Civil War, and Colorado's military organizations in the Civil War, including the dates and names of battles and engagements in 1864; and
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Page 3, Line 8WHEREAS, For many years, there have been differences in how
Page 3, Line 9groups and individuals have interpreted the meaning of the Civil War
Page 3, Line 10monument because, although Union cavalry fought and lost their lives to
Page 3, Line 11end slavery and famously thwarted Confederate troops at the Battle of
Page 3, Line 12Glorieta Pass in New Mexico in 1862, the Civil War monument also
Page 3, Line 13includes Sand Creek among the battles and engagements listed on one of
Page 3, Line 14its bronze plaques and it memorializes some of the same cavalry units,
Page 3, Line 15including those of Colonel Chivington, who perpetrated the Sand Creek Massacre; and
Page 3, Line 16
Page 3, Line 17WHEREAS, members of the Colorado General Assembly
Page 3, Line 18consulted with tribal leaders and enacted Colorado Senate Joint
Page 3, Line 19Resolution 99-017, which added an interpretive plaque to the Civil War
Page 3, Line 20monument explaining the mischaracterization of the Sand Creek
Page 3, Line 21Massacre as a battle and the struggle of the people of Colorado to interpret and take responsibility for this past; and
Page 3, Line 22
Page 3, Line 23WHEREAS, The Civil War monument was severely damaged
Page 3, Line 24when, on June 25, 2020, the "Union Soldier" statue was toppled, the statue and base were defaced, and the soldier's saber was stolen; and
Page 3, Line 25
Page 3, Line 26WHEREAS, Since the "Union Soldier" statue was toppled, History
Page 3, Line 27Colorado has displayed the damaged statue as part of a larger exhibit considering the role of statues in remembering history; and
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Page 3, Line 29WHEREAS, There is genuine concern that, if the state returns the
Page 3, Line 30"Union Soldier" statue to its original location, it would again be vandalized; and
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Page 3, Line 32WHEREAS, The former location of the "Union Soldier" statue on
Page 3, Line 33the west grounds of the state capitol is an appropriate location for a
Page 3, Line 34memorial of the Sand Creek Massacre to respect and memorialize the
Page 3, Line 35Cheyenne and Arapaho people and their ancestors, promote cross-cultural
Page 3, Line 36understanding, and educate the public about the massacre and the events surrounding it to foster healing; and
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Page 4, Line 2WHEREAS, In the tradition of such educational and interpretive
Page 4, Line 3efforts, the National Park Service established, by an act of Congress, the
Page 4, Line 4Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site in 2007 to preserve the
Page 4, Line 5massacre site to enhance public awareness and understanding and to assist in preventing similar tragedies from occurring in the future; and
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Page 4, Line 7WHEREAS, The Northern Cheyenne Tribe of Montana, the
Page 4, Line 8Northern Arapaho Tribe of Wyoming, and the Cheyenne and Arapaho
Page 4, Line 9Tribes of Oklahoma organized the annual Sand Creek Massacre Spiritual
Page 4, Line 10Healing Run in 1999 that begins in Eads, Colorado, and ends on the
Page 4, Line 11western steps of the state capitol, to remember what the Cheyenne and Arapaho people endured and to honor those killed; and
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Page 4, Line 13WHEREAS, Senate Joint Resolution 17-016 approved the
Page 4, Line 14placement of a Sand Creek Massacre memorial on the grounds of the state capitol, pending approval of the final design and specific location; and
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Page 4, Line 16WHEREAS, In 2020, the Capitol Building Advisory Committee
Page 4, Line 17approved an initial design and recommended that it be placed on the west
Page 4, Line 18plaza of the state capitol grounds, but in 2022, the artist withdrew that design from consideration; and
Page 4, Line 19
Page 4, Line 20WHEREAS, The Sand Creek Massacre Memorial Committee,
Page 4, Line 21which is made up of representatives from the Northern Cheyenne Tribe
Page 4, Line 22of Montana, the Northern Arapaho Tribe of Wyoming, and the Cheyenne
Page 4, Line 23and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma, artists, a historian, an architectural
Page 4, Line 24advisor, a sculptor, and a project manager, recommended a new design
Page 4, Line 25for a Sand Creek Massacre memorial that was submitted to the Capitol
Page 4, Line 26Building Advisory Committee for review in accordance with state law; and
Page 4, Line 27
Page 4, Line 28WHEREAS, On November 25, 2024, the Capitol Building
Page 4, Line 29Advisory Committee unanimously approved the new design of the Sand
Page 4, Line 30Creek Massacre memorial and recommended that it be placed on the west
Page 4, Line 31grounds of the state capitol and, in accordance with state law, submitted
Page 4, Line 32the proposal to the Capital Development Committee and the governor for consideration; and
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Page 4, Line 34WHEREAS, the Capital Development Committee also approved
Page 4, Line 35the design and location of the Sand Creek Massacre memorial and,
Page 5, Line 1pursuant to legislative custom and practice, requested a Joint Resolution
Page 5, Line 2of the general assembly to formalize the approval and location of the
Page 5, Line 3Sand Creek Massacre memorial and the long-term loan of the "Union
Page 5, Line 4Soldier" to the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs; now, therefore,
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Page 5, Line 6Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the Seventy-fifth General Assembly of the State of Colorado, the Senate concurring herein:
Page 5, Line 8That we, the members of the Colorado General Assembly,
Page 5, Line 9acknowledge the devastation caused by the Sand Creek Massacre and
Page 5, Line 10seek to raise public awareness about this tragedy and to memorialize the victims of the massacre and honor the Cheyenne and Arapaho people; and
Page 5, Line 11
Page 5, Line 12That we, the members of the Colorado General Assembly, approve
Page 5, Line 13of the plan recommended by the State Capitol Building Advisory
Page 5, Line 14Committee, the Capital Development Committee, and the governor for
Page 5, Line 15the installation of the Sand Creek Massacre memorial on the west
Page 5, Line 16grounds of the state capitol and for the long-term loan of the "Union
Page 5, Line 17Soldier" statue to the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs for
Page 5, Line 18public display on the department's campus or another appropriate location.
Page 5, Line 19
Page 5, Line 20Be It Further Resolved, That copies of this Joint Resolution be
Page 5, Line 21transmitted to the governor, the State Capitol Building Advisory
Page 5, Line 22Committee, the Capital Development Committee, the Sand Creek
Page 5, Line 23Massacre Foundation, the Sand Creek Massacre Memorial Committee,
Page 5, Line 24the Northern Cheyenne Tribe of Montana, the Northern Arapaho Tribe of
Page 5, Line 25Wyoming, the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma, History
Page 5, Line 26Colorado, the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, and the Department of Personnel.