Please accept my personal invitation to attend a discussion of Colorado’s darkest hour.

Join me for my FREE panel discussion about the Sand Creek Massacre at the Denver Public Library April 17, 2011

Of all the atrocities perpetrated on the Native American people during the Westward expansion, Colorado was home to one of the worst: The Sand Creek Massacre.
On November 29, 1864, on the banks of the Sand Creek in southeastern Colorado, a 700-man militia raided a peaceful Cheyenne and Arapaho settlement, killing and mutilating the inhabitants—most of whom were women, children, and elders.

For 146 years, people have been trying to understand why and how seemingly civilized people could perpetrate such a grisly act.

On April 17th, 2011, a group of experts from diverse fields such as Native American history, Colorado history, political science, art, and military history will come together to address the tough question: What did Colorado learn from the Sand Creek Massacre tragedy of 1864 and what lessons do we have yet to learn?

Purpose of the discussion

Like many residents of Colorado and the West, the historic tragedy at Sand Creek evokes strong feelings within me. It was this inspiration which led me to create the bronze Memorare, Sand Creek 1864

After creating Memorare and seeing the high interest in Sand Creek by an audience at the Booth Museum of Western Art in Georgia moved me to approach The Denver Public Library with the idea for a panel discussion discussing Sand Creek in an honest way that would be relevant for today.

The purpose of this panel discussion is neither to sensationalize the violence that occurred nor to whitewash the events; instead, the panel will seek to analyze how these events could have occurred and what the implications are for those of us living in modern times.
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Panelist Col. Ronald G. Machoian, PhD, puts it this way:

“I sincerely hope that all comers will leave the event with a stronger recognition that the clash of different cultures or civilizations has often highlighted man’s fearful capacity for inhumanity. There is a tendency to view historical events from a particular perspective or unilateral narrative—this discussion will hopefully offer some pause to consider history instead as an aggregate story that defies a singular telling.”

Event Details

Date and time:
Sunday, April 17, 2011; 2:00 to 4:30pm

Location:
Central Library, B2 Conference Center, 10 West Fourteenth Avenue Parkway Denver, CO 80204

Discussion format:
* 2:00 – 2:15
Greeting, opening remarks, and gift presentation of Craig Bergsgaard’s sculpture, Memorare, Sand Creek 1864, to the Denver Public Library
* 2:15 – 2:45
Slideshow discussing historical events featuring vintage images from the Denver Public Library Western History and Genealogy photograph archive
* 2:45 – 3:00
Break
* 3:00 – 4:15
Moderated panel discussion
* 4:15 – 4:45
Audience question and answer period with panelists
* 4:45
Closing remarks

For more information, please see my Sand Creek Massacre panel discussion page or contact my assistant Amy by telephone at 602-510-3662 or by email through the Craig Bergsgaard Studios contact form

Please join us to learn more about this pivotal chapter in American history

Banner announcing the event outside the Denver Public Library