After the massacre, the survivors, under Chief Sagwitch, were aided by other bands as they escaped southward. Most of the bands and tribes soon made treaties and were moved to restricted reservations, but the Northwestern Band was never granted a reservation. One descendent said this may have had much to do with the massacre and that they could not quite trust white people. The surviving members of the Northwestern Band were eventually taken under the wing of the Mormon Church, and many tribal members were baptized into the faith. Mormon missionaries taught the Shoshones American farming techniques and encouraged community assimilation, but those efforts were less than successful as tribal members were driven out of several settlements by non-Mormons. In 1880, the church established the farming community of Washakie in northern Utah, a few miles south of the Idaho border. Some band members dispersed to Shoshone reservations at Ft. Hall in Idaho, Wind River in Wyoming, Skull Valley in Utah, and Duck Valley in Nevada. Tribal elders who grew up at Washakie remember stories from their elders about the massacre, including how they were saved and who was killed. Younger Shoshone who did not have direct contact with survivors visit the site and feel the pain of their ancestors, regarding it as a sacred place that should be preserved. Most Shoshone people today do not want to dwell on the tragedy or inflame old animosities. They seek understanding and peace among all people, while also feeling an obligation to tell the story of their ancestors, learn from the mistakes of the past, and honor the dead. The event was originally named the Battle of Bear River, but was later changed to the Bear River Massacre to more accurately represent the true nature of the conflict. In 1990 the massacre site received National Historic Landmark designation. In 2002, the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation was returned 26 acres of the massacre field and hopes to acquire more. Every January 29, on the anniversary of the attack, both Indians and non-Indians gather to bless the ground and pray for peace. It is their dream that one day the Warm Dance, which has not happened since the massacre, will be celebrated again on this sacred ground. Today, the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation continues on in strength and hope.