The site’s interpretation has evolved over time, moving from an uncritical celebration of Custer’s “victory” to a more complex acknowledgment of what happened to Black Kettle and his band.

These commemorations represent a form of historical reckoning that has been partial and delayed but that is genuine.

The American government’s formal acknowledgment that Sand Creek was a massacre — embedded in the National Historic Site’s founding legislation — was a significant step from the position held by Chivington’s defenders in the immediate aftermath.

The Larger Pattern: Black Kettle Among the Peace Chiefs

Black Kettle was not the only Indigenous leader of his era to pursue diplomatic accommodation with American expansion, and understanding him requires some appreciation of the broader pattern he was part of.