Native Americans, No Longer the Invisible Race

How Colorado’s 1864 Order to kill NativeAmericanss is being rescinded.

Wonderful to see such a wrong being made right in some manner with the voiding of the 1864 order, and hopefully will help to heal wounds that go so deep that they are beyond human comprehension and nearly destroyed the Native American history, population, and culture. Hopefully, the sins of the past will allow some reconciliation by acknowledging such a devastating and debilitating wrong.

Today, it was wonderful to read and to learn that Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed an executive order that rescinded proclamations from Colorado Territorial Gov. John Evans in 1864, at the Capitol in Denver, Colorado. The 19th-century proclamation of 1864 called for the killing of all Native Americans and the taking of their property by white citizens. The late Gov. Evans governed from 1862–1865 over the territory of Colorado during the Civil War who resigned after the Sand Creek massacre happened under his order.

Much blood will forever be on the hands of the then Gov. Evans as this 1864 order also leads to the Sand Creek massacre, one of the darkest and horrific stains and period of the history of America and Colorado. During this massacre, more than 200 Arapaho and Cheyenne people, mostly women, children, and elderly were killed.

Col. John Chivington and his soldiers led the Nov. 29, 1864 slaughter in Colorado and then went to Denver, where they displayed some of the victims’ remains.

During this historical and long overdue undoing of this 1864 order, many tribes attended, citizens of the Southern Ute, Ute Mountain, Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes, mostly dressed in traditional regalia as they held signs that stated, “Recognize Indigenous knowledge, people, land” and “Decolonize to survive.”

This long-overdue reconciliation between the indigenous people, their land, possessions, and the atrocity in their lives is a positive step forward as it will take years to reconcile with such a horrific act upon the Native Americans, just like other races of color had been so ill treated. In a country where Native Americans’ roots run deep, they almost became the vanishing race or the vanishing people who were labeled negatively. Now, with the rescinding of this order, they feel a sense of belonging and having home roots.

Colorado along with all the United States must stand up and acknowledge once and for all totally, what has been done to Native Americans and make restitution in some manner for their lands being stolen from them. Along with the removal of the many Confederate monuments and statues of slave traders, colonizers, conquerors, and the many current-day racist groups that need to be reckoned with throughout the Country. Notably, some states including Colorado, have banned Native American mascots in schools. Also, some schools across the country have volunteered to change the name of schools, institutions, colleges, and government building that has the name of many leaders would lead the plight to destroy people of color.

Unfortunately, this massacre of the Native Americans was all to common against many races of color at the hand of the Caucasian race and too much has been pushed into oblivion. There was also the Snake River attack in Oregon in 1887 where 34 Chinese gold miners were killed, Chinatown in Northern California destroyed by Whites and killed countless Chinese people, 1985 bombing by Philadelphia police of the Black organization Move, killed 11 people, Red Summer Massacre, the massive killing of Blacks across the Country. America has a past that demands to be reckoned with so that all have equal rights in a land that belongs to none other than the Native Americans.

Having this long-overdue 1864 order rescinded is another monumental step in combatting racism, suppression, and the countless atrocities that are associated with it. It will take time to undo or redo so much hatred and destruction but each one has a part to do from all cultures.

A Cheyenne descendants who studied Native American history found the original Evans’ order while researching the Fort Wise Treaty of 1861. This Treaty showed how the United States government forge its way while meeting with the Cheyenne and Arapaho leaders establishing a reservation along the Arkansas River in eastern Colorado. There were nine signatures on this treaty document and not one signature belonged to the Native Americans. When the Native Americans failed to sign the treaty, the whites killed as many Native Americans as possible, and the ones left were destroyed by the war as Gov. Evans deemed the Native Americans, “enemies of the state”, allowing their property to be stolen and land confiscated.

In conclusion, good history is being made and history rewritten with much truth and correction. This is the truth of America. America bleeds with many open wounds, and with this 1864 Order being rescinded, one wound can begin to heal within the Native American culture.

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