Our Mission
The Sand Creek Massacre Foundation is the non-profit partner of the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site, furthering its educational purposes and contributing to lifelong learning about the massacre. By supporting initiatives that encourage exploration of its relevance to our contemporary world, we seek to minimize the chances of similar atrocities from ever happening again. Our work honors the legacy of those who were lost, those who seek healing, and those who continue to be affected by this and other atrocities.
Our Work
The purpose of Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site, as directed by congress, is to protect and preserve the landscape of the massacre site and enhance public understanding of the massacre and assist in minimizing the chances of similar incidents in the future. As the site’s non-profit partner, our work and fundraising efforts complement the NPS through activities such as:
Acquiring research material and archival collections
Contributing to the development of educational programming
Establishing partnerships & exchanges with tribal colleges and universities
Securing scholarships for research at the Center for Sand Creek Massacre Studies
Creating digital resources and online exhibits
Supporting educational exhibits and films
Distributing marketing materials for the National Historic Site
Maintaining tribal consultations and commemorative events
Additionally, the Foundation actively contributes experience and expertise to explore the relevance of the Sand Creek Massacre’s causes and consequences to comparative issues facing our contemporary world. We have provided input into issues such as naming and renaming initiatives, memorialization of sites where other atrocities have occurred, and other topics related to the Sand Creek Massacre.
Our Journey
1999
The National Park Service (NPS) in partnership with the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma, the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, the Northern Arapaho Tribe, and the State of Colorado, identify the location and extent of the Sand Creek Massacre
2000
Congress authorized the Secretary of the Interior to establish Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site (SCMNHS)
2005
Tribal representatives and NPS staff conceived the concept of the Center for Sand Creek Massacre Studies housed within the SCMNHS
2007
Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site is dedicated and opened to the public
2015
The NPS and tribal representatives completed the general management plan for the SCMNHS
2020
Sand Creek Massacre Foundation (SCMF) incorporated as the non-profit partner to the National Historic Site
The permanent administrative and visitor center for the SCMNHS open in Eads, CO including the Center for Sand Creek Massacre Studies and SCMF office space.