The week that turned January to February was a busy one around
here. Or, not around here, as the case may be.
On January 29, we boarded a bus with a group from Utah Westerners and
traveled north on the more-or-less same trail Colonel Patrick Edward Connor
took with his cavalry troops in 1863 on a mission to seek out and destroy a Shoshoni
winter camp—and the people there.
Every year, the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation,
descendants of the few survivors of the massacre, meet on the killing field to
remember the fateful day. And they gracefully host all interested parties who
care to join them. One newspaper report estimated this year’s crowd at 500.
Larry Echohawk (pictured), former United States Assistant Secretary of the
Interior for Indian Affairs, offered the keynote address.
I have written widely about the Massacre at Bear River, the latest
effort being a novel based on the horrors of the day. When released in 2021, It
will carry the same title as a song I wrote the lyrics for, “And the River Ran
Red,” by the great Western singer Brenn Hill. Brenn was at the ceremony and, as
he did last year, sang “And the River Ran Red.”
The Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation, under the direction
of tribal chairman Darren Parry, is in the process of creating the Boa Ogoi Cultural Interpretive Center at the
site. Your financial support will help. Donations of any size are welcome.
Thank you.
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ReplyDeleteIt must have been very moving to attend the ceremony, Rod. While there isn't a similar ceremony to commemorate Colorado's Sand Creek Massacre, there is an annual Spiritual Healing Run by Cheyenne and Arapahoe between Sand Creek and Denver. You might have read my blog post about his a few years back (the first time I posted it), but I am taking the liberty to attach a link:
ReplyDeletehttp://tanjabrittonwriter.com/2019/11/27/sand-creek/
It is important not to forget these atrocities.
Thanks, Tanja. Very moving event.
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