Monumental Change: Recontextualization and Inclusion Through the Lens of Denver’s Civil War Monument and the Sand Creek Massacre

<p>In recent years, countries in the Global North have begun to grapple with the origins of long-standing monuments and their implication about society’s present values. This project is a case study of the Denver Civil War Monument, a monument erected in 1909 to honor soldiers from Colorado who fought during the years spanning the American Civil War. A plaque on the monument which lists the Battles and Engagements includes Sand Creek. The Sand Creek Massacre was an attack on a peaceful village of Cheyenne and Arapaho by Colorado’s 3rd Regiment that resulted in the murder and mutilation of hundreds of members of the tribes. This thesis examines the impact of past and current efforts to recontextualize the monument and its plaque. It also focuses on how the memory of Sand Creek and the heritage built around it influences the way it is memorialized and recontextualized. Additionally, this project analyzes the successes and failures of the recontextualization efforts of other monuments born from dark historical events. By including a more diverse group of voices for these projects, focusing on restorative justice, and creating awareness about the consequences when governments try to ignore or delay needed changes, future monument recontextualization projects will be better situated for success.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

M.A.

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters Thesis

Year dc:date.available

2021

Author dc:creator

• Davidson, Sarah

Contributors dc:contributor

• Christina Kreps
• Dean Saitta
• Nancy Wadsworth

• Heritage
• Memory
• Monument
• Recontextualization
• Representation
• Restorative justice
• History
• Museum Studies
• United States History

Statement dc:rights

• <p>Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.</p>

Language dc:language

en

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/1919

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.du.edu:etd-2914