Challenges Native Americans Faced in the 19th Century

According to the testimony of John M. Chivington, his "ways of seeing" regarding the Cheyenne Indians and the Sand Creek Massacre was revenge. Chivington felt that the Indians were being very unfriendly towards the white, he stated in his testimony "I believed the Indians in the camp were hostile towards the whites." He felt that they were of the same tribes as those that destroyed many of their valuables, killed and took many of the white people prisoner in the year prior to the Sand Creek Massacre. He claimed that the Cheyenne Indians assisted and were led by the other tribes in these wrongful acts. Chivington wanted revenge, they needed to be punished for their actions especially after finding the scalps of the whites, some that were even taken four days previously. So on the night of November 29th, 1864, they made their attack on the Cheyenne Indians.

Both documents on the Sand Creek Massacre have the same "ways of seeing" as the testimony of Colonel Chivington. The attack was done out of revenge. They also speak of the Indians being unfriendly towards the white people and the scalps of white men, woman, and children drying in their lodges. The Cheyenne Indians got what they deserved. The whites got their revenge. The document "The Battle of Sand Creek" clearly stated "Colorado soldiers have again covered themselves with glory".

According to Mr. John S. Smith's testimony, he had spent much of his life with the Indians. He was sent to the campsite where the Cheyenne Indians were the day of the attack. When he returned, they asked him many questions as to where the bands specific location in the interior, their general disposition of the whites, and the number of men present. The way he had seen it was that the Cheyenne Indians should have been safe. They had an American Flag that was presented to them by Colonel Greenwood that Black Kettle ran up to the top of his lodge along with a small white flag underneath, he was advised to do this in case he ran into any other troops on the prairie. Smith tried to stop the attack, but when he tried to approach the other troop, they started to fire at him, knowing he was a white man. By the time he got back to the Indians, they had already been surrounded and they were almost completely destroyed. Smith never really knew why they had attacked the Cheyenne Indians, they were not hostile in Smiths opinion.