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Sand Creek Massacre Healing Run Marks 152 Years

EADS, Colo. (AP) — Descendants of Native Americans killed in the Sand Creek massacre are making their annual healing run from Colorado's Eastern Plains to Denver as they mark the 152nd anniversary of the attack.

Starting Thursday, the Cheyenne and Arapaho runners and anyone wishing to join them will head from the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site near Eads and make their way toward Denver, nearly 200 miles away. The run will end Sunday at the state Capitol after stopping at Riverside Cemetery to honor two U.S. Army officers who refused to fire on their ancestors.

Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site
A 1936 painting by western artist Robert Lindneux depicts the Sand Creek Massacre. Seeking revenge for the killings of several settlers by Indians, 700 militia members slaughtered nearly everyone in the village. Most were women or children. (credit: Colorado Historical Society)

About 200 people were killed in the attack on Nov. 29, 1864 led by Col. John Chivington. He and his soldiers then headed to Denver where they displayed some of the victims' remains. The healing run roughly follows their route.

(© Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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