University of Denver Digital Commons @ DU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies 2020 Lessons from Controversy: Interpreting the Sand Creek Massacre in Colorado Katherine Rose Hoadley University of Denver Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd Part of the Indigenous Studies Commons, Museum Studies Commons, and the United States History Commons Recommended Citation Hoadley, Katherine Rose, "Lessons from Controversy: Interpreting the Sand Creek Massacre in Colorado" (2020). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 1785. https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/1785 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at Digital Commons @ DU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ DU. For more information, please contact [email protected],[email protected]. Lessons from Controversy: Interpreting the Sand Creek Massacre in Colorado A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences University of Denver In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts by Katherine Hoadley December 2020 Advisor: Dr. Christina Kreps ©Copyright Katherine Hoadley 2020 All Rights Reserved Author: Katherine Hoadley Title: Lessons from Controversy: Interpreting the Sand Creek Massacre in Colorado Advisor: Dr. Christina Kreps Degree Date: December 2020 Abstract This thesis is a case study of the 2012 History Colorado Center exhibit, Collision: The Sand Creek Massacre, 1860s – Today. Collision was an exhibit that attempted to showcase the history of the Sand Creek Massacre – an 1864 event where well over one hundred peaceful Cheyenne and Arapaho people were murdered by the 3rd Regiment of the Colorado Military District. Collision remained open for a little more than a year – this thesis interrogates the reasons behind its closure and its status as a controversial museum exhibit. The findings of this thesis show that a lack of collaboration with the Descendant Communities of the Cheyenne and Arapaho was only one of many problems at work. At the time of the exhibit, History Colorado prioritized the generation of revenue and “sustainability” over providing staff and stakeholders with a timeline conducive to the collaborative process. Additionally, Collision was developed utilizing an “audience first” methodology in order to attract visitors to the museum; History Colorado did not consider their stakeholders as an influential audience. The closure of the exhibit was ultimately facilitated by Tribal Representatives via Denver weekly paper, Westword. Journalist Patricia Calhoun’s articles exposed History Colorado’s lack of collaboration with the Tribes and in turn, public pressure demanded the closure of the exhibit. This thesis examines what can be learned from controversy, the importance of multi-vocality in exhibit development, and the decolonizing work that must be done from within museums. Key words: Sand Creek Massacre, museum controversy, decolonization, collaboration ii Acknowledgements For my mom, Jam This thesis is the culmination of four years of work – work that was interrupted by many life-changing events and seemingly insurmountable barriers. I could not have completed this thesis without being nudged along by Anne Amati, Sue Zarbock, and Jerry Stites. Thank you to Sam Hoadley, Andrew Gambardella, and Alex Toy – your support has meant the world to me. I would also like to thank my advisor, Dr. Christina Kreps, for introducing me to this topic and setting me on a life-altering path that has helped me to develop a number of valuable life skills. Most importantly, I would like to thank the Descendants of the Sand Creek Massacre. Ideally, this work would have included more voices of Tribal Representatives and Descendants – after all, this is their story. It has been a privilege to take on this project and learn about the history of the Cheyenne and the Arapaho Tribes, who were treated unjustly by violent people. Thank you to Gail Ridgely, Dale Hamilton, and Max Bear for being so selfless with your time and speaking to me with kindness and candor. Thank you to Troy Eid and Dr. Holly Norton, who gave me much of the foundation upon which this thesis sits. Thank you to Dr. Bill Convery for being open to my lines of questioning and sharing your valuable insight and hindsight. Thank you to Ernest House, Jr. for sharing with me the lessons that you have learned. Thank you to Dr. David Halaas. Finally, I owe an incredible debt to Patricia Calhoun – without her work and her articles, the story of Collision would likely be unknown to me as well as the greater Denver area. She has truly made this thesis possible. iii Table of Contents Chapter 1 Introduction......................................................................................................1 1.1 Chapter summaries........................................................................................... 5 Chapter 2 Background...................................................................................................... 8 2.1 History of the Sand Creek Massacre................................................................ 8 2.2 The Sand Creek Massacre Site Location Study Oral History Project.............. 16 2.3 University of Denver: Report of the John Evans Study Committee................ 19 2.4 Collision: The Sand Creek Massacre, 1860s – Today..................................... 21 Chapter 3 Literature Review............................................................................................ 29 3.1 Landmark controversial museum exhibits....................................................... 30 3.2 The shift towards collaboration........................................................................ 36 3.3 Post-colonial museum...................................................................................... 38 3.4 The Native America Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA)..... 39 3.5 New museum ethics......................................................................................... 4 1 3.6 Collaboration exists on a spectrum.................................................................. 4 4 3.7 Conclusion........................................................................................................ 4 7 Chapter 4 Theoretical Framework...................................................................................4 9 4.1 Anachronistic space.......................................................................................... 49 4.2 Misrepresentation and trauma.......................................................................... 5 2 4.3 The perpetration of symbolic violence............................................................. 5 3 4.4 Decolonization and survivance.........................................................................5 5 4.5 Conclusion........................................................................................................ 60 Chapter 5 Research Methods............................................................................................ 6 2 5.1 Research questions........................................................................................... 6 2 5.2 Methodology.....................................................................................................6 3 5.3 Primary documentation.....................................................................................6 8 5.4 Secondary documentation.................................................................................6 9 5.5 Research analysis..............................................................................................6 9 5.6 Ethical considerations.......................................................................................70 5.7 Positionality...................................................................................................... 7 1 Chapter 6 Findings Part 1................................................................................................. 7 3 6.1 Chronology....................................................................................................... 7 3 Chapter 7 Findings Part 2................................................................................................. 9 4 7.1 First impressions...............................................................................................9 4 7.2 Consultations prior to the exhibit opening....................................................... 100 7.3 Exhibit closing.................................................................................................. 10 3 iv 7.4 The need for mediation.....................................................................................1 11 7.5 Memorandum of Agreement (MOA)............................................................... 117 7.6 Foresight and hindsight.....................................................................................1 22 Chapter 8 Analysis............................................................................................................. 130 8.1 Audience first....................................................................................................1 33 8.2 The museum as a business................................................................................1 41 8.3 Timeline............................................................................................................1 45 8.4 Methodology