Ute Indian Nation

Put plainly the United States government’s treatment of Native Americans, in this particular case the Ute Indian nation of the old West, was, quite frankly disgraceful. Ranging from at best intimidation and prosecution and at worst which was sadly quite often one-sided warfare and outright large-scale slaughter. The Utes, the earliest inhabitants of Colorado, fittingly enough lived throughout Colorado. Like many Greats Plains Tribes, Their diet consisted Primarily of Buffalo, with the odd gathered root or Vegetation to supplement it, theirs was a nomadic and frankly at times, aggressive Culture and even before the Arrival of Anglos in Colorado they were far from Stanger’s to armed conflict with their neighbors. They were also Exceptional Horseman …show more content…
The Utes were fiercely protective of their ancestral homeland and regularly lunched raids on white trespassers and settlers who attempted to make the land their own. This lead to the predictable retaliation by the United States Military in defense of said infringing “pioneers”. This cycle of attack, reprisal and peace treaty continued until shortly after the Civil War, Where United States Military Forces finally forced the Utes onto Reservations a faction of the former size, in exchange they were to receive provisions from the US Government and most importantly of all, protection from US expansionist polices. This large-scale loss territory, of course resulted in much hardship for the Utes, who deprived of their hunting grounds and the food it supplied, suffered considerable hardship and deprivation. In Charge of Overseeing the Transition from their once nomadic ways to a hopefully more modern agricultural existence was the White River Indian Agency. In Charge of the Agency Was Nathanial C. Meeker, a former Journalist and Homesteader, who sought to covert the Utes, forcibly if need be to farming and a European-American Style …show more content…
After a particularly tense meeting with a Ute Chief, Meeker responded by sending falsified reports to Washington, claiming he was assaulted by the Utes and urgently requesting Military assistance. The Government sent a Company of Solders to control the situation. When the Utes Become aware of Federal Troops nearby, they demanded the troops stay of land that was legally theirs. The Troops ignored and in essence invaded Ute Land. The Utes, with memories of the still very recent Sand Creek Massacre responded by butchering the man who they saw very rightly so as betraying them along with a dozen of his innocent subordinates along with his Son and took the now deceased Meekers Wife and Daughter Hostage. They then lunched a lighting raid on the Troops catching them off ground and killing or wounding over a quarter of their number, including their Commander. The Surviving Troops dug-in and sent for Reinforcements, which upon arrival quickly overcome the Utes, many of who fled and rescued the remaining original troopers. The Attacks made Head-lines across the Nation and in retribution, for what at the time was seen by many as a senseless murder of blameless Americans the Ute Removal Act was rushed through Congress and in short Order the Land left to the Utes was taken and they were forced to relocate