In
the series, The Widows of Wildcat Ridge, set in the Uinta Mountains, there is
an occasional reference made to concerns about coming in contact with the Utes
of the nearby Ute Reservation.They would actually be the Northern Ute.
The
Utes are actually made of twelve major bands. The people and their culture and
are among the Great Basin classification of Indigenous People. They have lived
in the regions of present-day Utah and Colorado for centuries, hunting, fishing
and gathering food. In addition to their home regions within Colorado and Utah,
their hunting grounds extended into Wyoming, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. They had
sacred grounds outside of their home domain that were also visited seasonally.
Spiritual and ceremonial practices were observed by the Utes.
The
origin of the word Ute is unknown, but Yuta was first used in Spanish
documents. The Utes self-designation is based upon nuuchi-u, meaning the
people.
The
Utes are part of the Numic language group Ute people are from the Southern
subdivision of the Numic-speaking branch of theUto-Aztecan language family,
which are found almost entirely in the Western United States and Mexico. It
includes both the Colorado River Numic language (Uto) dialect chain that
stretches from southeastern California, along the Colorado River to Colorado
and the Nahuan languages (Aztecan) of Mexico.
The
history of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe is dominated by a long process of
territory contraction and cession. Prior to contact with Europeans, the Ute
people inhabited a vast expanse that included much of present-day Utah,
Colorado, and northern New Mexico. They are generally believed to have first
appeared as a distinct people in AD 1000–1200 in the southern part of the Great
Basin, an area roughly located in eastern California and southern Nevada. The
Ute people migrated to the Four Corners region by 1300, from where they
continued to disperse across Colorado’s Rocky Mountains over the next two
centuries.
There
were twelve historic bands of Utes whose culture was influenced by neighboring
Native Americans. Although they generally operated in family groups for hunting
and gathering, they came together for ceremonies and trading. The Utes also
traded with other Native American tribes and Puebloans.
 |
| Photo by Mathew Brady |
In
1880, Chief Ouray and other Utes traveled to Washington. D.C. to negotiate a
treaty that would result in the removal of the White River and Tabeguache Utes
from Colorado to the Uintah Basin in present day Utah. Chief Ouray died at age
47 shortly after this trip. Seated from left to right: Chief Ignacio of the
Southern Utes, Carl Shurz, Secretary of the Interior, Chief Ouray and his wife,
Chipeta. Standing are Woretsiz and General Charles Adams. This photo was shot
in Washington, D.C. in 1880 when a delegation of Ute Indians traveled to
Washington to negotiate a treaty with the U.S. government.
 |
| Ute reservations as of 1868 |
Here
is a basic timeline of the interaction between the Northern Utes and the United
States government during the time period of the series:
1873 U.S. government officials appoint Ouray as Head
Chief of the Utes.
1878 Meeker became agent at Whiteriver agency.
1879 Agent Nathan Meeker is killed by Yamparika
Utes.
1879 As a result of the Meeker incident, officials
force the Colorado Utes to sign an agreement which removes the Yamparika and
Taviwach Utes to Utah (ratified June 15, 1880).
1880,
Mar 6 Treaty signed by the Indians.
1880,
June 15 Treaty signed by congress for
Indian removal from Colorado.
1880,
Aug 24 Death of Ouray.
1880-1891 Ghost Dance Movement
1881 Yamparika Utes are moved to the Uintah
Reservation in Utah.
1882 Act of January 5, 1882--Uncompahgre Reservation
1885 Miners found Gilsonite--significance--only
deposit in U.S.
1886 Uintah and Ouray agencies consolidate.
Sources:
Wikipedia
Ute Tribe History;
http://www.uintahbasintah.org/maps/utehistory.htm
https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/ute-history-and-ute-mountain-ute-tribe
My latest novel, Nissa, Book 3 in The Widows of Wildcat Ridge series is now available on Amazon including Kindle Unlimited. To read the book description and purchase your copy, please CLICK HERE.
