Almo, Idaho Indian massacre myth
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The Almo, Idaho, Indian massacre is an attack that is alleged to have occurred in 1861 when a band of Native Americans attacked a wagon train of 300 overland migrants in the Washington Territory, what is now southern Idaho.[1] But unlike other massacres involving Native Americans in the 19th century, there is not enough substantial evidence to conclude that a massacre of this magnitude actually occurred near Almo in 1861. A monument in the small town of Almo was erected in 1938 by the Sons and Daughters of Idaho Pioneers. The monument stands in the memory of the travelers who were supposedly murdered in the massacre.[2] The endurance of the myth and the monument that is built to remember the "massacre" engenders negative feelings among Native Americans, a group that has historically experienced persecution at the hands of white settlers.[1] The monument itself displays 19th and 20th century attitudes towards Native Americans, and Native Americans believe that this monument needs to be removed, as it falsely represents Native peoples and cultures and contributes to the misinformation prevalent about Native Americans.[3]