Posted by [EMAIL PROTECTED] : Tim Hundsdorfer <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>sent the following URL: Today is the 135th anniversary of the massacre at Sand Creek. and the story in today's Rocky Mountain News: http://www.insidedenver.com/news/1129sand0.shtml Sand Creek stories live on Tribal leaders, activists gather to honor ancestors slain in 1864 massacre By Gary Massaro and Holly Kurtz Denver Rocky Mountain News Staff Writers Mildred Redcherries grew up with scary stories. Stories of the bow and arrow armies facing off against militiamen with guns. Stories of militiamen scalping her Northern Cheyenne ancestors. Stories of the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864. Redcherries, the 41-year-old vice chairwoman of the Northern Cheyenne Sand Creek descendants, joined about 70 onlookers and members of tribes from all over the nation in a candlelight vigil Sunday at the state Capitol to remember 164 American Indians killed by militiamen. "It's emotional," Redcherries said. "Our grandparents have passed away, talking about this. We talk about it. We cry about it." Members of Redcherries' Montana tribe sang and played drums as onlookers held candles. Tribal leaders and American Indian activists told the crowd they wanted to make sure future generations would learn about the massacre. At 10 a.m. today, the Capitol will be the finish line for a run that retraces the route Colorado First and Third Volunteer Cavalries took from the southeastern Colorado massacre site to Denver, where they displayed body parts as trophies. Organizers have called the trek the Sand Creek Spiritual Healing Run. "I think this is a wonderful way to end the past century that has held so many tragic events for our Indian nations," said Jonny BearCub Stiffarm, Mayor Wellington Webb's American Indian liaison, who spoke at Sunday's vigil. "It's good to hold this event because it's healing." Today marks the 135th anniversary of the Sand Creek Massacre, in which about 900 soldiers -- mostly Colorado volunteers -- killed 164 Arapaho and Cheyenne, mostly women and children, in the November dawn. The Indians stood beneath Old Glory and a white flag but were slaughtered anyway. Survivors of the initial onslaught fled along the creek and tried to dig into the sand cliffs but were blasted mercilessly by the soldiers' howitzers. In May, archaeologists on a federally funded dig found artifacts at the reputed site about 35 miles north of Lamar. They found hide scrapers, musket balls, military buttons and fragments of howitzer shells. The shells are the most powerful evidence that this is the site because the only recorded use of 12-pound howitzers in the area was at the massacre, said Rich Frost of the National Park Service. The village spans three contemporary ranches, but each of the owners supports research. The artifacts were buried in the soil and sand between 2 and 10 inches. The Park Service has until July to verify the actual massacre site, report to Congress on the site's historical significance and write a management plan. Redcherries says she has been to the archaeological site. And all her life she has held on to her own personal artifacts -- stories. Militiamen shot her grandfather in the arm, she said. All he had was a bow and arrow, but he stopped to save a baby before fleeing. He wanted to save an elderly woman wandering aimlessly as well. But when he got close to her he saw it was hopeless. She had been scalped. "Every family has a story," Redcherries said. "Our family were survivors." November 29, 1999 Reprinted under the Fair Use http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html doctrine of international copyright law. <><<<<<>>>>><><<<<> Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/ <><<<<<>>>>><><<<<>
