Description
Chief Niwot was an Arapaho chief who negotiated peace settlements between white settlers and the tribes of Colorado. As a prominent elder during the Colorado Gold Rush and the Colorado War, he sought to ease tensions. While awaiting a peace settlement, Chief Niwot died at the Sand Creek Massacre. No warriors were present to defend the hundreds of women, children, and elders butchered by John Chivington and his volunteer soldiers. I lived for a time near Boulder, CO, an area that can be rightly called Chief Niwot’s Land. This painting illustrates the beauty of the area and captures the desolation felt by those forced from their rightful land.