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Summer view of the Colorado state capitol building with the United States and Colorado flags

Sand Creek massacre statue to replace toppled Civil War soldier at Colorado state Capitol

© iStock - japhillips

After years of back and forth, the statue of a grieving American Indian mother will have a home in a prime location on the west steps of the Colorado State Capitol.

The State Appropriations Building Committee voted 7-2 on Friday to replace the Civil War soldier statue, which was toppled this summer during the George Floyd protests, with the Sand Creek Memorial.

The Civil War soldier, still sporting graffiti and scrapes from its fall, now sits in a temporary spot in the lobby of History Colorado.

The location of the statue has been at the center of five years of negotiations. Tribal leaders wanted the memorial placed on the west steps, where the massacre could be acknowledged by tourists and Coloradans who visit. But the state would not move the Civil War soldier to accommodate their wishes.

Visit Colorado Politics to read the full article.

In commemoration of the 156th year since the 1864 Sand Creek Massacre, Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site will host a special presentation by Otto Braided Hair (Northern Cheyenne) Saturday, November 28, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.