1999

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 99-017

BY SENATORS Martinez, Wham, Anderson, Andrews, Arnold, Blickensderfer, Chlouber, Congrove, Dennis, Dyer, Epps, Evans, Feeley, Hernandez, Hillman, Lacy, Lamborn, Linkhart, Matsunaka, Musgrave, Nichol, Owen, Pascoe, Perlmutter, Phillips, Powers, Reeves, Rupert, Sullivant, Tanner, Tebedo, Teck, Thiebaut, and Weddig;

also REPRESENTATIVES Dean, Alexander, Allen, Chavez, Clarke, Decker, Gagliardi, George, Gordon, Gotlieb, Hagedorn, Hoppe, Kaufman, Keller, Kester, Larson, Lawrence, Leyba, Mace, Miller, Morrison, Plant, Saliman, Scott, Sinclair, Spradley, Stengel, Swenson, Tapia, Tate, Taylor, Trochtrop, Veiga, Vigil, S. Williams, Windels, Young, and Zimmerman.

CONCERNING THE CIVIL WAR MONUMENT'S REFERENCE TO THE SAND CREEK MASSACRE.

WHEREAS, A memorial on the State Capitol grounds dedicated to "the memory of Colorado soldiers who died in the Civil War" contains a reference to Sand Creek under a list of battles and engagements; and

WHEREAS, Sand Creek was not the site of a battle, but rather was the site of a massacre in which a Civil War­era regiment led an unprovoked attack upon the members of the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes who were camping near Sand Creek; and

WHEREAS, The attack against a reportedly peaceful village left several hundred women, children, elderly people, and some men dead and many more wounded, and it has been contended that this event, "probably more than any other Indian conflict, set the stage for the years of bloody battle with the Plains tribes after the Civil War"; and

WHEREAS, During the 1998 legislative session, the General Assembly enacted Senate Joint Resolution 98­34 expressing its belief that the inclusion of Sand Creek on the Civil War monument was inappropriate and resolved that the words "Sand Creek" should be removed from the memorial; and

WHEREAS, After the passage of the resolution, the State Capitol Building Advisory Committee and the Capital Development Committee received many comments that questioned the removal of the words from the monument and received requests from the public, including tribal representatives from the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes, asking that instead of removing the words from the Civil War monument, an interpretive exhibit be designed and placed near the Civil War monument that could explain the history of the Sand Creek massacre and its significance; and

WHEREAS, The State Capitol Building Advisory Committee and the Capital Development Committee have both recommended that the words "Sand Creek" be retained on the Civil War monument and that an interpretive display be developed to explain the Sand Creek massacre; and

WHEREAS, The Colorado Historical Society through its Roadside Interpretation Program has received funds to erect historical signage concerning the Sand Creek Massacre on the Capitol grounds through a grant from the Denver Regional Council of Governments; now, therefore,

Be It Resolved by the Senate of the Sixty­second General Assembly of the State of Colorado, the House of Representatives concurring herein:

(1)  That the words "Sand Creek" be retained on the Civil War monument; and

(2)  That the Capital Development Committee, working with the Colorado Historical Society, should erect an interpretive sign or memorial for permanent display on the Capitol grounds that would explain the historic significance of the Sand Creek massacre to Colorado and the United States.

_________________________ _________________________

Ray Powers Russell George

PRESIDENT OF SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE

THE SENATE OF REPRESENTATIVES

_________________________ _________________________

Patricia K. Dicks Judith M. Rodrigue

SECRETARY OF CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE

THE SENATE OF REPRESENTATIVES