THE MASSACRE

For godly sorrow produces repentance to salvation, not to be regretted but the sorrow of the world produces death.
                                                                                            2 Corinthians 7:10 (NKJV)

Altogether, about 600 Indians were gathered in the creek bed; Black Kettle's tepee was at the center of the encampment. The warriors were several miles to the east hunting buffalo. Of those remaining in the camp, two-thirds of the people were women and children, just as Major Scott J. Anthony had planned. The Indians kept no night watch, being confident of their safety. The first warning they had was the drumming of hooves on the sand at sunrise. All hell broke loose. Hundreds of people were screaming, shouting, desperately trying to organize their children; men were diving for their weapons or running to form a defense. George Bent, an eyewitness, describes what he saw.

In a few hours of madness at Sand Creek, Chivington and his soldiers destroyed the lives or the power of every Cheyenne and Arapaho chief who had held out for peace with the white man. After the flight of the survivors, the Indians rejected Black Kettle and Left Hand and turned to their war leaders to save them from extermination.⁴

Jesus for His innocent blood that takes away the sin of the world.

Wisdom, Patience, Humility

A Time for Tears

Events like this should not be done quickly. Much thought and prayer preceded the gathering at Sand Creek. Many voices gave their council before any action was taken. The germ of the idea came from an address I gave to the united pastors of the front range many months before at a meeting in Denver. I simply stated that if they wanted revival and harvest they needed to look into the massacre at Sand Creek and the violation of the treaties with the Arapaho and Cheyenne peoples. Perhaps this had never been addressed in a biblical way and was grieving the Spirit of God.
A chapter of the Reconciliation Coalition was formed, including Silas Corea, a godly Indian pastor, and prayer for wisdom began. The first step was the reconciliation ceremony at Confluence Park. The team used great wisdom in communicating invitations, and on the day of the gathering a good representation was present, consisting of government officials from the Colorado Senate and House, the lieutenant governor's office, the Justice Department, the chief of police and the mayor's office.
The northern Arapaho, northern Cheyenne and Kiowa nations sent representatives to participate. Travel expenses and hotel rooms were provided by the coalition team. Also present were young people from the University of Colorado, representing the Hopi, Navajo and Sioux, along with adults from many other tribes who served as witnesses.
Dutch Sheets, a white pastor, began the ceremony with a statement of purpose. I quote in part:

January 14, 1993: I looked around the circle at the inheritors of this legacy. Some had deep roots in Colorado, both Indian and European. Some represented families with generations of involvement with the U.S. Army. All were earnest, humble believers from towns around the front range. I suggested that we make confession and ask forgiveness in the presence of the Lord and our Native American brothers. There were many tears. Prayers were heartfelt and deeply honest.
One woman stretched herself out in the sand, touching the feet of an Indian pastor; deeply ashamed she wept for the lost generation that was cut off in this place. The sense of loss was upon us all; the beauty of what might have been had these two peoples walked together in integrity; the generations of alcoholism, suicide and despair that could have been avoided if a culture with the gospel in its roots had exemplified rather than defamed Jesus to a spiritually hungry people. Minutes turned to hours as the Spirit of God moved among us. As the day came to a close we took communion together, and walking in twos we descended to the sandy streambed where the bodies once lay. I knelt beside an ancient tree that must have witnessed these events and poured out the remainder of wine from my communion cup. I felt sure that people had taken shelter here and died. The red wine stained the snow where innocent blood was shed. I thanked

Though we are Christians, we want to state very strongly that we do not believe that this ceremony is the proper occasion to propagate our religious beliefs or to proselytize. We also realize that we do not represent all our invited participants in the statements we make. We state this in the beginning because it is impossible for us to share our purpose or accomplish our goals without mentioning God, and quoting from the Bible.
We believe that our Father God is both grieved and angry over the injustices and the atrocities that we, the white man, have committed against the Native American peoples. We have lied, cheated, stolen, desecrated and killed. These things, apart from the pain and suffering they have visited upon the Indians, also have offended God and aroused His wrath. Isaiah 24:5-6a says, 'The earth is also polluted by its inhabitants, for they transgressed laws, violated statutes, and broke the everlasting covenant. Therefore, a curse surrounds the earth, and those who lire in it are held guilty. "
This description is applicable to us and our relationship with Native Americans.
We are told in Numbers 35:33 that the shedding of innocent blood "pollutes [and defiles] the land. " We have been guilty of this also. 2 Chronicles 34:21 says, "For great is the wrath of the Lord which is poured out on us because our fathers have not observed the word of the Lord, to do according to all that is written in this book. " We believe these and other passages teach us that we must assume responsibility not only for our sins, but also for our ancestors. There are numerous examples in the Bible of individuals confessing the shortcomings and transgressions of relatives and predecessors, imploring forgiveness from the Creator as well as the offended parties. This is our purpose for this meeting. We are commanded by God in Matthew 5:23-24

'1f therefore you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother had something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go your way; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering. " We believe, on the basis of these and other principles, that God has spoken to us that until we come to the Native Americans for forgiveness and reconciliation even our gifts, to one degree or another, are unacceptable to Him.
We are not naive enough to believe that our words can erase the past or its pain, but we do believe that they can help to shape the future. We come to you in this spirit and for these reasons, we ask for nothing in return but an acceptance of our apology and hopefully an acknowledgement of forgiveness.⁵

After introducing dignitaries, a carefully researched statement was read, itemizing the injustices that had taken place. Then opportunity was given for representatives of various groups to identify with these crimes, express remorse and ask for forgiveness. Many did. The representative from the mayor's office said, "I feel ashamed...on behalf of the mayor and the City Council of Denver I wish to extend my profound apologies for this legacy of lies, theft and death."

Acknowledgment

Confession was made in four categories.

1. Government- military

*Dishonest agents of the federal government, in cooperation with railroad, timber, mercantile, and land speculators, defrauded the Indians of their government allotments of land and timber, cash and goods; against which the Native Americans could find no legal recourse.
*The government made and failed to enforce over 300 treaties.
*Although there was a Congressional investigation of
the Sand Creek Massacre, the matter was mostly swept
under the political rug, and was never satisfactorily
resolved.

For the wrongs committed, for the related betrayals of your trust, and for the atrocity of Sand Creek, we offer our apology and ask for forgiveness.

2.  Social injustices - prejudices

*Indian peoples have been subjected to numerous social injustices and prejudices.  Indian children were removed from their homes in order to make them into "white" children.  Sometimes the children were never returned. These children were forbidden to speak their own language in school and were punished for it.

*The Indian people have been subjected to blatant prejudice and subservient positions in society, and we have been insensitive to the problems that confront the American Indian people today such as 90 percent alcoholism, poor health care, lack of adequate housing, alcoholism touching 75 percent of the homes, a suicide rate five times higher than any other ethnic group, excessive high school dropout rates, and an average life-expectancy of only 40.1 years.

*These violations extend even to the graves of your ancestors through the insensitive act of selling the pottery and other articles buried with them and the displaying of bones in museums.

We apologize for these wrongs and injustices, and ask for forgiveness.

3. Sins of those bearing Christ's name

*While seeking to bring Christ to the Native Americans, Christian missionaries sometimes maintained an attitude of superiority and sought to impose a version of the gospel riddled with western cultural forms. In some missions there was economic exploitation of Indian children.
*John Chivington, an ordained Methodist minister who fought hard against slavery during the Civil War, turned a stony heart toward the Native Americans of this land and wantonly slaughtered non-hostile Indians at Sand Creek.

For the destructiveness of zeal without wisdom, and the misguided and insensitive ways in which the Church has dealt with you, we ask your forgiveness.

4. Violation of stewardship of the land

*It has long been accepted and understood among the Indian nations that theirs was a special position in regard to the care of the land. While they did not hold a written title to it, it was understood that the land belonged to all who lived on it, to support life in harmony. By virtue of first right of occupancy, the land was yours for as far as the eye could see.
*Since that time the Indian people have lost the right to large parts of their land, much of it taken to satisfy the interests and greed of businessmen and miners, and most of it in direct defiance of treaty rights, legally established and signed by the government. In other cases, land speculators made themselves rich buying and selling Indian land from impoverished Native Americans. This process violated the spirit of Native Americans who believed they had betrayed a sacred trust in giving up their God-appointed stewardship of the land.
*White hunters and eastern fur companies were allowed to wantonly kill off the buffalo herds which were the mainstay of food, clothing, and shelter for the hunting tribes of the plains. This forced the Indians, through starvation, to move into designated reservations. From 1870-1880, thirteen million buffalo were slaughtered.
 

For the wrongs committed in the illegal taking of land, for the government's unwillingness to enforce legal treaty rights, and for the hundreds of Indian lives taken in defense of these treaty rights, we ask for forgiveness.

Repairing the Breach

The response to this confession was deeply moving. Native American people are obviously tired of grieving-they want resolution. John Emhoolah, representing the Kiowa nation, accepted the church and government apology for the injustice that was done at Confluence Park: the illegal selling of the campsite of his great-great-grandfather, Chief Little Raven. John graciously forgave and said, "Today my prayer has been answered. We have to love one another and leave things in the hands of our great Creator." Arnold Hedley, representing the northern Arapaho from Wind River, Wyoming, said he had for- given and wanted to see a day when all could live in harmony.
Sylvester Knows-His-Gun, a CheY8nne representative from Lame Deer, Montana, graciously expressed forgiveness after stating the enormity of the pain and bitterness that the Cheyenne had felt over Sand Creek. His statement: "Belatedly, we welcome you to Indian country. This great land belongs to all and we welcome you to this country." This was said without cynicism and had tremendous impact on everyone present.
Theresa Guiterrez, a Cheyenne-Sioux woman, who is director of American Indian Student Services, spoke with great honesty, saying, "I think I understand why I am here tonight. That understanding comes from the fact that I need to heal me, because I am angry for the suffering my people have had I have been suspicious and afraid of white people. I see the racism every day.  Ican appreciate the goodness you have in your hearts for wanting this reconciliation. Maybe what I need to say is, 'I forgive you.'"
Native American students also expressed themselves. A Navajo girl, Bo Lewis, thanked the organizers for helping them face the pain. She said, "We are glad you are standing with us in this so we can go forward and start the healing."
Perhaps the most encouraging report was that of Andy Kozad, a Native American who played the drum song for the Indian color guard. He said that during the ceremony God had spoken to him and called him into full-time ministry.

Standing in the Gap

The meeting that took place at Sand Creek had various objectives. Believers were the only ones present, and mature intercessors at that. Here we were able to move more overtly in intercession and spiritual warfare. If anything, the grieving of the Indians, the remorse of the whites and the healing power of reconciliation was deeper. However, our purpose went beyond these things-it was time to meet with our God. This was a God-anointed prayer meeting involving worship, confession, inter- cession, proclamation and blessing.
During such times, believers pray as the Holy Spirit leads them and they sometimes participate in prophetic actions. These actions, such as pouring out the communion wine, should never be absolutized, or even taught as a method. They are merely testimonies of how God leads particular groups of people at a particular time. In the Bible we see Jeremiah, in obedience to God, burying his loin cloth down by the river as a prophetic statement. However, we would never teach that all prophets should communicate in this way, let alone build such an action into the liturgy of the Church. (Although I can see that an underwear cult is possible, given the bizarre things that some religious people have emphasized.)
One of the most important things that takes place in the heart of offended peoples at an on-site reconciliation ceremony is release from unresolved grief. On the anniversary of the massacre, a handful of Christians braved the bitter cold and journeyed to Sand, Creek. This was several weeks before the larger events I have described. Included in their number was a Native American Christian named Spencer Cody, a dear friend and adviser to me. He describes his experience in his own words.

A vision of the event unfolded (unwanted) as I trudged through the snow. I only saw the children, I only heard their frightened cries. I found a hollow tree and got out of the biting cold wind. I knelt there and asked God "Why? How could any human being kill children in this cowardly manner?" I (surprisingly) blamed no one, I prayed for my children, that this hatred would not find them. I heard children singing in the wind. It was not a song of mourning, it was a song of remembrance. "You have come here, you have remembered us. We have not perished, because you are our blood. Tell your sons and tell your daughters about us, and you shall preserve our memory and we will live yet." I returned to pray with the others. I had released the pain that is healing still. Reconciliation is still possible.⁶

Time for Application

In order to explore your potential as a reconciler, fill in the details alongside the list below:

My gender is:
My generation is:
My native language is: Subcultures I identify with are:

My class (socioeconomic status) would be seen by others as:

My religious history has been:

 My religious affiliation now is:

My family name is:


List some of the movements, ideologies, and institutions that have touched your family line as far back as you know:

My location (region-city-suburb-neighborhood) is:

My vocation is:

To the people of my extended family I am (i.e., daughter - sister - wife - mother):

Referring to the list on pages 117-118, look at what you have written and consider the opportunities for identificational repentance created by your unique identity. It would be nice to just see ourselves as Americans without hyphen-and maybe that day will come - but as long as these wounds remain, believers must use every means within our power to heal the land.

Recommended Reading:
Jackson, Helen. A Century of Dishonor. New York: Indian Head Books, 1993.

Notes 1. George Bent to George E. Hyde, April 14, 1906 (Coe Collection, Yale
University).
2. U.S. Congress 39th 2nd session, Senate Report 156, pp. 73, 96. 3. Ibid., p. 53, Berthrong, p. 220.
4. Dee Brown, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1970), p. 91. ..
5. Used by permission.
6. Used by permission from Last Days Ministries, Lindale, Texas.