Tribal Representatives meet Colorado National Guardsmen

By Alexa Roberts

NPS

October 31, 2003

Approximately a dozen officers of the Colorado National Guard, 1^st Battalion-157^th Field Artillery, were in Eads, on Friday afternoon, October 24. The visit was part of a Staff Ride which was done in conjunction with a two-three month training overview of the Sand Creek Massacre. After researching various military aspects of Sand Creek, such as tactics, leadership and law, the officers gave individual presentations at Fort Carson, on Thursday, October 23.

Spokesman for the group, Captain Charles Zakhem, addressed a gathering of about thirty people at the courthouse in Eads. After enjoying a meal, introductions were given and historic information was shared by Cheyenne Chief Laird Cometsevah and other representatives of the Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma, the Northern Arapaho Tribe of Wyoming, and the Northern Cheyenne Tribe of Montana. Also on hand was Alexa Roberts, Superintendent of the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site; other NPS staff; the USDA in Eads; and several private film companies, Olympus Films, Rope the Wind Productions, and Sheephead Films.

Later in the day, most attendees drove to the area of the Sand Creek Massacre. While at the site, additional information was provided by Bill Dawson, Ray and Steve Brady of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe and others. The event proved quite historic as descendants of Cheyenne and Arapaho killed or wounded at Sand Creek meet with Colorado soldiers. The event concluded about sundown.