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Home , Colorow (Ute chief), Nathan Meeker, Ouray (Ute leader), Ute Indian Museum, Ute people

Teacher Resource Set

Title Ute Indian Tribe/Northern (Uintah and Reservation)

Developed by Laura Douglas, Education ala Carte

Grade Level 3-4

Essential Question How can primary sources help us learn about mistakes from the past and not make the same ones again in the future?

What social and economic decisions caused the forced migration of the Ute people?

Contextual Paragraph The Ute Tribe lives on the Uintah and Ouray Reservation in Fort Duschesne, . It is the second largest in the US, and covers over 4.5 million acres. The tribe’s membership is 3,022 people. Over half of the membership lives on the Reservation. The Ute Indian Tribe are descendants of the Tabeguache, Yamparika, Parianuche, Uintah, Cumumba, Tupanawach, San Pitch, Pah Vant and Sheberetch bands. They were a nomadic mountain people and ranged throughout this area extensively, following the cycle of the seasons. The acquisition of the horse in 1640 allowed them to travel more easily over a wider range. For food, they hunted large game; gathered berries, nuts, roots and small game; and fished. For shelter, Utes built brush dwellings known as wickiups or used . The family was, and is, the center of Ute life and includes immediate and extended family members.

The decade of the 1870s brought about numerous changes in which the US Government, through a series of agreements and legislation, removed Utes from their traditional land. After the 1873 Brunot Agreement, whites interested in mining in the continued to push Utes off the land. Chief and his followers defended the traditional Ute way of life resisting the miners and others who claimed their land.

In the spring of 1879, Colorow’s followers were pressured by local Indian agent to farm in a field they had traditionally used to race horses. Meeker misunderstood how important horses were to the Ute people and he brought about a confrontation with the band. Meeker was killed in the violence that followed. The events of 1879 were used as grounds for removing the Yamparika and Uncompahgre bands from onto a reservation in Utah known as the Uintah and Ouray Reservation. Colorow and his followers left Colorado reluctantly, though he never gave up resisting the invasion of the Ute homeland by white settlers.

The National Register Nomination form for the Ute Memorial Site is located at: https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/AssetDetail?assetID=cc284250-c10f-44d0-827b-dbbc72c3f9fd

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Contextual Paragraph Perhaps the most well-known Ute was Chief Ouray. He was born in 1833. His mother was Ute and his father was a (continued) Jicarilla . Chief Ouray grew up near Taos, NM, near white settlers, so he learned to speak English. Chief Ouray joined the Tabeguache band of Utes in Colorado during his teens, and became a chief by distinguishing himself in battle against the . Chief Ouray worked very hard to keep his people out of war and helped them preserve their tribal identity, though he could not preserve their homeland.

Chief Ouray’s second wife, , was highly respected by both whites and Utes. Chipeta was born a but was raised by the Utes. During her life, Chipeta used diplomacy to try to achieve peace with the white settlers in Colorado as they continued to encroach on Ute lands. Following the violence of 1879, Chipeta traveled with Chief Ouray to Washington, D.C. to testify before Congress when he worked to negotiate a treaty regarding reservation resettlement. Chipeta was respected by Ute people and was allowed to attend meetings of the council where no other Ute woman was ever accepted.

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Resource Set

Native American Maps of Shrinking Portrait of Native Studio Portrait of Ute men at Ignacio, Native American (Ute) women and reservations American Utes and Ute Chief Colorow, CO, May 24, 1925 Land Theft Sale, by children sit in front whites in 1887 Bureau of Indian of a tepee, 1911 Washington, DC, Affairs Agents, 1911 1874

From left to right, Mrs. Allotment policy After the 1873 Brunot Chief Colorow, a Photograph of eight John Marshall drastically reduced the Agreement was Native American (Ute) Ute men in traditional Department of the (Meadow Lark), Kate, tribes’ land ownership. signed, Ouray, man is wrapped in a dress on horseback in Interior advertisement daughter of Luke subchiefs, and white woven blanket and front of a frame offering 'Indian Land Snow, Chipeta, widow The Ute tribal lands in friends were brought wears a decorative building on the for Sale.’ The man of Chief Ouray, Colorado went from to Washington, DC. necklace. Consolidate Ute pictured is a Yankton Scoop, Mrs. John 600,000 acres to a Indian Agency at the named Not Patterson, To-wee mere 73,000, and the “Front row, left to Photographed by reburial of Chief Afraid Of Pawnee. (Emma Naylor Buck), lands in Utah shrank right: Guero, Chipeta, William Henry Ouray. wife of Chief Buckskin from 4,000,000 to Ouray, Piah, second Jackson. Charlie, and Lucy 360,000 acres. row: Uriah M. Curtis, The men who served Thompson. Blankets Major J. B. as pallbearers are and headdresses Thompson, Gen. identified on the verso hang over the tepee Charles Adams, Otto of the photograph as, entrance. Mears; back row: left to right, Nanees Washington, Susan, (George Norris), (Ouray's sister) Joseph Prince, Johnson, Jack and Buckskin Charlie John.” (Charley), McCook, Pevaga, Pegary, and Antonio Buck.

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Note: Photographer's The original Ute The Brunot Colorow was a leader Among the items of The Dawes Allotment stamp embossed on domain (prior to Agreement of 1873 among the White traditional ceremonial Act of 1887, print.; Title inked on westward expansion) was between the Ute River (or Yamparika) attire they wear are authorized the back of print.; Vintage stretched across people and the US band of Utes. He and feather headdresses, President of the photographic print.; Colorado and Utah, government. This his followers defended hair pipe chokers and United States to Written on back of and into agreement took 3.7 the traditional Ute way breast plates, a survey American print: "Indians-Utes and . The million acres of land of life and resisted squash blossom Indian tribal land and Biog.-Group Chipeta Treaty of 1868 was from the Ute miners and other necklace, medals, a divide it into sections etc."; R7001701112 signed by all seven Reservation in white settlers who staff, and rings. of 160 acres (called Ute bands and western Colorado and claimed their land. allotments) for Prior to the arrival of created a protected opened it up to mining The sign on the individual Indians. the horse, Ute people reservation covering the San Juan building behind them were more nomadic 20 million acres in Mountains. As reads: "Consolidated After assigning 160- and lived in structures western Colorado In expansion into Ute Indian Agency." acre allotments to like the wickiup. After exchange for all the Colorado continued, Two Euro-American each Ute family, the the horse arrived, the land ceded to the Utes and white women stand behind US government Utes used horses to United States, the Ute Coloradans continued them on the porch of placed the remainder carry their belongings. people received food to disagree and in the building. of the reservation in They could carry in the form of rations, 1881, most of the the public domain for more trade goods on trade goods, and northern Ute bands sale and settlement. horses than on foot. livestock. were forced to move White settlers The Utes also could to Utah. snapped up most of live in larger, more The 1873 Brunot the acreage. comfortable Agreement took the dwellings—tipis (like San Juan Mountain the one seen here), mining area and other which were too heavy traditional Ute to carry before they homeland. By 1972, had horses. Ute reservations covered only 433,000 acres.

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http://digital.denverlibr http://exhibits.historyc http://digital.denverlibr http://5008.sydneyplus http://5008.sydneyplus http://exhibits.historyc ary.org/cdm/singleite olorado.org/utes/utes_ ary.org/cdm/singleite .com/HistoryColorado .com/HistoryColorado olorado.org/utes/utes_ m/collection/p15330c home.html#reservatio m/collection/p15330co _ArgusNet_Final/Port _ArgusNet_Final/Port home.html#reservatio al/Portal.aspx?compo al/Portal.aspx?compo oll22/id/20053/rec/31 nlife ll22/id/19793/rec/159 nlife nent=BasicSearchRes nent=BasicSearchRes under Allotment ults&record=e16a07b ults&record=2e1d53e under Allotment 2-956a-4c43-a22d- 7-64f7-4b91-9827- ee460c2c9a2f b9ddd3aed0f3

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Group performing Ute Tribe of the Reservation Life Ouray and wife Dawes Act or Bridle Bear Dance c. 1900 Uintah and Ouray (Chipeta) 1870-1880 General Allotment Reservation Act Group of Ute men and This flag illustrates the Traditional Ute Studio portrait of Approved on February This is a headstall women performing the Great Seal of the Ute wickiups had Native American (Ute) 8, 1887, "An Act to (bridle) for a horse. Bear Dance on the Indian Tribe. freestanding conical Chief Ouray and his Provide for the This belonged to Uintah Reservation, frames and were wife Chipeta. Allotment of Lands in Chipeta. Utah. Two lines face A complete covered with skins, Severalty to Indians one another with men description of the flag brush or bark. After on the Various A complete on one side and can be accessed the Utes acquired the Reservations," known description can be women on the other. below. horse, they began as the Dawes Act, accessed at the URL Clothing includes building more emphasized severalty, below. Call #: blankets, hats, elaborate structures the treatment of E.1853.1 beaded belts, including larger bison Native as leggings, and hide-covered tipis. individuals rather than moccasins. as members of tribes. Photographed by Hall History Colorado circa 1900. Call #: collection, Call #: HC 2000.129.246. 10027426

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In Ute, the Bear The twelve feathers Despite being Chief Ouray wears American Indians who Horses were the most Dance is mama-kwa- symbolize the twelve confined to braids, a choker accepted allotments of important part of Ute nhká-pú, or the original Ute bands. reservations, Ute necklace, a fringed 160 acres per family economy and, were “woman-step dance,” Mountain peaks families still cherished buckskin shirt with and lived separately the most valuable because women outlined in brown their traditions. Most probably beaded from the tribe would trade item. Horses choose their partners. symbolize the original lived in tipis or details, pants, leather be granted United were also prized The couples dance to Uintah Valley wickiups, like the one boots, and a woven States citizenship. possessions and Ute songs sung by the reservation seen in this photo, blanket attached at The US government companions. Ute men, who accompany boundaries. rather than in the log the waist. Chipeta encouraged American people often adorned themselves by rubbing cabins provided by the wears a buckskin Indians to give up their horses in beads, notched sticks called The sports teams of government. Some dress with fringe at tribal life and woven cloth, silver moraches, or the used bows and arrows the sleeves and hem, assimilate. and paint, and “growlers.” Moraches are named in honor of to “hunt” the cattle possibly a leather decorative saddle, are supposed to the Ute Tribe. During provided by the cummerbund, and The Muache and reins and other tack. resemble the sound of Native American government instead of moccasins. Capote accepted Horse racing became bear claws scratching Heritage Month, the slaughtering them with allotment and lived on an important endeavor a tree. Music, University of Utah knives. lands in the eastern among Ute bands; the gambling, sporting football team wears half of the Southern faster the horse, the contests, and feasts the seal of the Ute Ute Reservation. The greater its trade value. complement the Tribe on their helmets Weeminuche retained Men owned the dance. to acknowledge the the western half -- horses, and a man history of the Ute renamed the Ute who had fast race Tribe. Mountain horses was able to Reservation--as a provide well for his tribally owned entity. family.

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http://5008.sydneyplus http://5008.sydneyplus http://exhibits.historyc http://digital.denverlibr https://www.archives.g http://5008.sydneyplus .com/HistoryColorado .com/HistoryColorado olorado.org/utes/utes_ ary.org/cdm/singleite ov/historical- .com/HistoryColorado _ArgusNet_Final/Port _ArgusNet_Final/Port home.html#reservatio m/collection/p15330co docs/todays- _ArgusNet_Final/Port al/Portal.aspx?compo al/Portal.aspx?compo nlife ll22/id/67541/rec/13 doc/?dod-date=208 al/Portal.aspx?compo nent=BasicSearchRes nent=BasicSearchRes nent=BasicSearchRes ults&record=e7abe6e ults&record=b10b529 under Reservation ults&record=18e1b55 1-9da0-4cf2-8abb- 0-343c-438c-b8b9- Life 9-b35e-49bb-8159- 767ad847396b be74c6c73dc4 56d3b605597d

Foundations Annotations

Curriculum Connections

History

Geography

Economics

Civics

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Curriculum Standards

CO State History Standard 2: People in the past influence the development and interaction of different communities or regions. (Third Grade) a. Describe the history, interaction, and contribution of the various peoples and cultures that have lived in or migrated to a community or region.

CO State Geography Standard 2: The concept of regions is developed through an understanding of similarities and differences in places. (Third Grade) a. Observe and describe the physical characteristics and human features of a region. b. Identify the factors that make a region unique including cultural diversity, industry and agriculture, and land forms. c. Give examples of places that are similar and different from a local region.

CO State History Standard 1: Organize and sequence events to understand the concepts of chronology and cause and effect in the . (Fourth Grade) a. Construct a timeline of events showing the relationship of events in Colorado history with events in United States and world history. c. Explain the cause-and-effect relationships in the interactions among people and cultures that have lived in or migrated to Colorado. d. Identify and describe how major political and cultural groups have affected the development of the region.

CO State History Standard 2: The historical eras, individuals, groups, ideas and themes in Colorado history and their relationships to key events in the United States. (Fourth Grade) b. Describe interactions among people and cultures that have lived in Colorado.

CO State Geography Standard 2: Connections within and across human and physical systems are developed. (Fourth Grade) a. Describe how the physical environment provides opportunities for and places constraints on human activities. b. Explain how physical environments influenced and limited migration into the state. c. Analyze how people use geographic factors in creating settlements and have adapted to and modified the local physical environment.

CO State Economics Standard 1: People respond to positive and negative incentives. (Fourth Grade) b. Give examples of the kinds of goods and services produced in Colorado in different historical periods and their connection to economic incentives.

CO State Civics Standard 1: Analyze and debate multiple perspectives on an issue. (Fourth Grade) b. Provide supportive arguments for both sides of a current public policy debate.

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Content and Thinking Objectives

Students will be able to: ● use primary sources to learn about the past. ● consider social and economic reasons that led to the forced migration of the Ute people. ● compare information from a variety of sources about the same topic. ● present information to classmates orally and visually.

Inquiry Questions, Activities and Strategies

Inquiry Activities Look at the different types of shelter found in the resource set. Discuss the evolution of these shelters from the wickiup, to the , and finally to the housing on the reservations. Discuss the importance of the materials used to build them, the role the horse played in shelter and how the Ute people kept their cultural traditions while living on the reservation.

Explore the geographic locations of Ute peoples prior to westward expansion. Discuss their seasonal migration, the importance of the land and water, travel for food gathering and replenishing of game and plants, and the changes brought about with the introduction of the horse. Use the resource set, this website (http://exhibits.historycolorado.org/utes/utes_home.html) and other research to provide evidence.

Assessment Strategies

Depending upon how one uses the resources and which standards are chosen, assessment can take many forms. For example:

CO State History Standard 2 (a) (Third Grade) Research and discuss historically significant Ute peoples and the contributions/impacts they have made.

CO State Economics Standard 1 (b) (Fourth Grade) Trade was a key component in the lives of the Ute people prior to European colonization. Divide into small groups to research produced and traded goods and technology. Include the importance of the horse and domesticated animals, the well-developed system of trails, including widespread transcontinental intertribal trade routes, and cultural practices such as the Bear Dance.

CO State Civics Standard 1 (b) (Fourth Grade) Divide the class into small groups of three to four students and ask them to debate with other groups on sensitive issues from different perspectives that relate to the Ute people both today and in the past. Topics could include: westward expansion and ; school mascots; warfare and treaties; and forced assimilation policies, reservations and boarding schools.

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Other Resources

Web Resources

National Register of Historic Places Homepage: http://wwww.nps.gov/nr

Rocky Mountain PBS Colorado Experience “The Original Coloradans”: http://video.rmpbs.org/show/colorado-experience/episodes/?page=4

Colorado Encyclopedia: https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/northern-ute-people-uintah-and-ouray-reservation

YouTube video of “The Original Coloradans” (29 minutes): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWLdijamdcQ&feature=youtu.be&t=21m40s

Ute Indian Tribe Homepage: http://www.utetribe.com/

Ute Indian Tribe Political Action Committee: http://utepac.com/

Ouray’s History Timeline: http://www.ouraycolorado.com/about-ouray/history

Utah State Historical Markers and Monuments Database: https://heritage.utah.gov/apps/history/markers/detailed_results.php?markerid=1607

Secondary Sources

Joey Bunch, “Meeker Massacre forced Utes from most of Colorado, but the attack was a backlash,” Post (Denver, CO), Oct. 15, 2012. http://blogs.denverpost.com/library/2012/10/15/meeker-massacre-forced-utes-colorado-attack-backlash/4274/

Fred A. Conetah, A History of the Northern Ute People, ed. Kathryn L. MacKay and Floyd A. O’Neil (Fort Duchesne and : Uintah- Ouray Ute Tribe, 1982).

Jan Pettit, Utes: The Mountain People, 3rd ed. (Boulder, CO: Johnson Books, 2012).

The : A Capsule History and Guide (Denver: History Colorado, 2009).

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Preservation Connection

Ute Memorial Site US Hwy. 550, two miles south of Montrose National Register 2/26/1970, 5MN.1841 https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/AssetDetail?assetID=cc284250-c10f-44d0-827b-dbbc72c3f9fd

The site includes approximately thirteen acres of Ute Chief Ouray’s original ranch lands. The area is grassy and planted with gardens. A small state museum operated by History Colorado (formerly the Colorado Historical Society) is located on the site. Within the museum are exhibits and articles pertaining to the Ute Indians, and specifically Chief Ouray. Also located on the site, near the museum, is the grave of Ouray's second wife, Chipeta, and her brother. Near these is the spring which Ouray and Chipeta drew their domestic water. A concrete teepee, erected by the Colonial Dames, marks the springs.

Why is it important to preserve historic Native American lands, buildings, and artifacts?

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