Sand Creek Massacre Memorial Moves Forward with Statue Unveiling and Site Dedication
The long-running project to establish a permanent memorial to the Sand Creek Massacre at the Colorado State Capitol is moving forward with the unveiling of the first statue in October and a site dedication on November 29, led by the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes.
At left: Bronze of Chief Black Kettle, part of the soon-to-be installed Sand Creek Massacre Colorado State Capitol Memorial, displayed at History Colorado, October 2026. Courtesy History Colorado.
EADS, CO, October 9, 2026 — For decades, massacre survivors’ descendants have called for a memorial commemorating their ancestors, and the Sand Creek Massacre Memorial Committee have answered that call with Peace Keepers, a larger-than-life bronze sculpture of Chief Black Kettle, Chief Left Hand and Medicine Woman holding a baby standing in front of a tipi frame.
The members of the Sand Creek Massacre Memorial Committee were appointed by the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma, the Northern Arapaho Tribe and the Northern Cheyenne Tribe. Current members are Otto Braided Hair, Jr. (Northern Cheyenne), LaRenda Morgan (Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma) and Gail Ridgely (Northern Arapaho Tribe).
The idea for a memorial at the Colorado State Capitol was first talked about by tribal descendant representatives as early as 1999, during discussions about the establishment of the future Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site. This project has been led by the Tribes, and supported through partnerships with the Sand Creek Massacre Foundation and PAX sapiens, a foundation established by Colorado philanthropists Marcel Arsenault and Cynda Collins Arsenault.
After a long process that included negotiations and agreements between the Tribes and the State, intertribal cooperation and collaboration, various setbacks including the pandemic, in 2020 the State of Colorado proposed the prominent west plaza of the capitol for the memorial, in place of a controversial Civil War monument that had been toppled by social justice protestors earlier that year.
Consulting with tribal artists, the Sand Creek Massacre Memorial Committee came up with the concept and design for Peace Keepers.
Sketch of the Sand Creek Massacre Committee’s concept for Peace Keepers, by Otto Braided Hair III, 2024. Courtesy Otto Braided Hair III.
In 2024, the Sand Creek Massacre Memorial Committee partnered with the Sand Creek Massacre Foundation to raise additional funds needed to complete the project.
That same year, the Committee commissioned Sculptor Gerald A. Shippen to produce the larger-than-life bronze sculpture based on their design.
Fabrication of the sculpture began in late 2024, with the Committee's input and approval leading every step of the process.
In 2025, the design and placement of the memorial were formally and unanimously approved by the Colorado State Legislature and Governor Polis.
To mark Indigenous Peoples’ Day, the bronze statue of Chief Black Kettle, the first finished figure of Peace Keepers, will be on view at History Colorado starting October 12, 2026.
Chief Left Hand is projected to be finished early 2027, and Medicine Woman before the summer.
On November 29, 2026, the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma, the Northern Arapaho Tribe and the Northern Cheyenne Tribe will gather at the Colorado State Capitol to dedicate the site of the future memorial, coinciding with the last day of the tribal-led Sand Creek Massacre Annual Spiritual Healing Run.
The Tribes welcome the public to attend the site dedication ceremony on November 29, which will commence at 10 AM.
You can show your support by donating to help fund travel, lodging and meals for Cheyenne and Arapaho massacre survivor descendants from Montana, Oklahoma, and Wyoming to attend the site dedication in Denver.