Tragic History of the Utes

Tragic History of the Utes

              After thousands of years of independence all of the tribes in the geographic area of the United States were conquered ruthlessly by the European-descendants who invaded these lands for the minerals and natural resources. They also conquered the natives living in Canada and Mexico and Central and South America.      

              The Ute tribes were conquered in the space of the life of Chipeta and her husband Chief Ouray.  From their independent lives of their seasonal determined culture, they were reduced to dependence on the European-culture and forced to occupy a very circumscribed area, mostly in barren, untillable farms with no hunting of wild animals possible.  This reversal of sovereignty was accomplished from 1850 to 1900 in the southern part of Colorado, in the lifetime of Chief Ouray and his wife, later widow, Chipeta.

              As with every tale I have heard or read about - the Europeans killed, lied to, swindled, starved, herded into reservations, and forced Indians into death marches.  Never did any Europeans try to live in a peaceful coexistence.  Roger Williams, William Penn, and perhaps the founder of the Georgia colony tried to act humanely, but their ideas were quickly stopped. 

             The Utes had a peace treaty with the Great White father (Abraham Lincoln), who refused to smoke the peace pipe and sent his deputy to clinch the deal.  The Utes were forced to move to Utah without permission to go on a hunt to provide food for their tribe for the winter.  Provisions were allocated on yearly rations. This food wasn’t enough and resulted in many Utes starving to death.

The final irony is that many towns are named after the Chief and his widow, Chipeta, and schools abound bearing their names.  These honors belie the terrible circumstances of their lives.

Chipeta Queen of the Utes A Biography by Cynthia Becker and P. David Smith.  2003.  255pages