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= Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site = The Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site is located in Kiowa County, Colorado. On April 23, 2007 the National Historic Site was established and became America's 391st official park unit. The site was created to preserve the landscape and educate the public about the Sand Creek Massacre. In 2016, the site was visited by 6,847 visitors, and has had growing traffic since 2011. Currently, the battleground is 153 years old, and recently celebrated its centennial in 2014. The site is maintained and staffed by National Park Service Rangers, and is open free to the public year round.

Site History
In the thousands of years before the massacre, the prairie underwent wet and dry periods that limited ecological resources. Significantly, this impacted the way humans lived. The Paleoindians came to the area 8,000 - 10,000 years ago. During dry periods, the people were a group of hunter-gathering nomads, and during wetter climates they became a sedentary farming community.

In the 1500s, the Spanish entered the region and reintroduced horses. However, for the next 200 years the plains remained relatively unchanging. In the 1700s, American Pioneers, Europeans, and other Indian groups began to explore the region. Between 1820 and 1850, the human population around the site doubled. By this time, there were numerous horses in the region, which put additional stress onto the ecosystem of the area.

By 1864, fuel and food sources became scarce. The human demands on the environment bled the ecosystem, removing thousands of American Bison, deer, and antelope that previously inhabited the community. The fluctuating climate and human impacts left the plains ecosystem degraded. Because of this, some Native American (Cheyenne and Arapaho) winter sites were no longer sustainable.

In the past 153 years since the massacre, the area has been used primarily for farming and ranching. Cattle was introduced to the area in the 1870s. In the 1880s, the lands became stock farming lands due to the increase in private ownership. Since the 1900s, area has been used for farming and ranching. Recent initiatives have attempted to expand sagebrush, introduce non-native species to the area, and grow cottonwood along the banks of nearby creeks.

Site Establishment
In 1999, Archaeologists from the National Park Service, Native American Descendants, and the Colorado Historical Society began doing research at the massacre site. The exposition resulted in the discovery of human remains. In 2000, Congress gave authorization for the establishment of the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site. However, Congress required the National Park Service to work with the sellers of the land to acquire enough to land to preserve, commemorate, and analyze the massacre.

On September 9, 2006 lands conveyed to the United States by the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma were added to the area. A total of 1,465 acres are now held in trust for the National Historic Site.

The site is supported by the National Park Foundation and The Conservation Fund. The Conservation Fund helped add nearly to 1,000 acres to the site by working with private landowners.

Legislative History of Sand Creek National Historic Site
October 6, 1998: Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site Study Act (P.L. 105-243)

November 7, 2000: Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site Establishment Act (P.L. 106-465)

August 2, 2005: Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site Trust Act (P.L. 109-45)

Things to do at the Site
The Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site provides multiple activities for tourists. Rangers lead tours daily from 10am - 2pm. There are picnic opportunities in the trees of the former Dawson homestead. Take a stroll to the top of Overlook Hill. Explore and look for birds, insects and flora. Walk the bluffs trail. Visit the repatriation burial area.