Moving With Our History

What would it be like for visitors of all ages to experience this site as its own history unfolded in similarity and in contrast to the history of the Native-Indigenous stewards of this sacred land and this land herself? Perhaps visitors can proceed in a loop that includes 1) a land acknowledgement written by Native-Indigenous elders, 2) the pre-fort history of this sacred land and the Native-Indigenous stewards entrusted with its care and keeping, 3) a type of reconstruction of a simple Fort structure and clear history of the Sand Creek Massacre including and not limited to the truth-telling and assassination of Silas Soule, 4) a reflective spiral labyrinth including a path inward (e.g. "Truth and Reckoning") to continue the truth-telling including the near-extermination of the American Buffalo, the oppression, violence and death of children at Indian Boarding Schools, the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives and stealing of land that continues, and many more points along the labyrinth that leads to the heart (and turning point) of the spiral (e.g. "Indigenous Worldview: Universal Stewardship and Interdependence") and then the path out (e.g. "Restoration and Prevention") could include what visitors can do to support Native-Indigenous-led initiatives to return to Right Relationship with ourselves, all beings including the Native-Indigenous steward of this land, and this sacred land herself, and 5) a portion of the site (with a permanent Native-Indigenous-designed structure and also open space) dedicated to private and public Native-Indigenous-led ceremony and events. Rick Williams' TREC Reports are a wonderful, responsibly-researched source that would be a ready source for this Project, and there is ready and reliable history held by Native-Indigenous elders in Wyoming, Oklahoma and here in Colorado that is immediately available for this Project. This Project could be a deeply inspiring, hands-on way for visitors of all ages to step up and learn about and commit to both preventing and healing the violent history that continues to be made in Colorado in terms of the harm that affects all of us (e.g. auto-immune conditions, paraphilia, fraud, substance misuse/addiction, human and sex trafficking, elder, child and animal abuse, domestic violence, suicide, mass shootings, pollution, etc.).