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Dear DU community, Ìý

Every year, we acknowledge and remember the Sand Creek Massacre, an event of historical injustice and violence against Colorado’s Indigenous peoples. The anniversary of this event calls for us all to pause and embrace deep reflection, grief, and remembrance. Ìý

In 1864, on November 29, nearly 750 Native Americans from the Tsitsistas (Cheyenne) and Hinóno’éíno (Arapaho) Tribes sought safety and were based at an encampment near Sand Creek in southeast Colorado. Over two days, U.S. military forces brutally attacked the camp, murdering over 200 children, women, men, and elders. Ìý

For Indigenous peoples, the past lives on in the present; their descendants remember this day for the unimaginable loss of life it represents, and this tragic event remains a stain on our nation’s history for its horrific acts of hatred and violence. At DU, we must, with great sorrow, remember and acknowledge this history. In the same year, John Evans founded the Colorado Seminary (the institution that would later become DU). John Evans served as governor of the Colorado territory at the time and has been found culpable for the massacre which was released in 2014. The massacre was also carried out under the leadership of John Chivington, a former board member for the Colorado Seminary. Ìý

Today, people from more than 40 different Native Nations reside within the state of Colorado,Ìýand we cherish and respectfully acknowledge their rich traditions and cultures. DU is deeply grateful for our own connections and conversations with Native American and Indigenous community members, while never forgetting the pain and violence visited upon them. I ask us all to please spend time reflecting on the Sand Creek Massacre this day and learn more about how this event, among too many others, has impacted the lives of this region’s Native American and Indigenous communities. Ìý

The task of creating peaceful, just, and inclusive societies remains as important as ever. Ìý

Sincerely,

Jeremy Haefner

Chancellor

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