1849 - 1873

continued from page 3

 

 

1866 June 18th, Chief Sanpitch was taken captive and brutally murdered. Dolf Bennet slit his throat during a botched plan of Brigham Young's to lure Black Hawk into a trap. The death of Sanpitch (Black Hawk’s and Tabby's father) was very devastating to Nooch. The old Chief Sanpitch long been the leader of the Northern Ute and was highly respected by all. The news sent a shock wave throughout Ute territory. Sanpitch had, just the year before, signed a peace treaty with Brigham Young present. Chief Tabby and old Chief Sowiette were so enraged they immediately prepared to take revenge on the Mormons. They were making preparations to join Black Hawk, and were it not for Black Hawk's plea to stop the bloodshed, Tabby would have done so. (Please see Death of Sanpitch. here)

 

On June 20^th, 1866, Nooch/Black Hawk was shot in battle while attempting to rescue a fallen warrior by the name of White Horse—incredibly, the first time he was ever physically hurt in battle. This was another devastating blow to the Ute people, and his wound to the stomach never  healed properly. To make matters worse, he became ill from Tuberculosis. (Please see Battle at Gravely Ford.)

 

On June 26^th, 1866, Black Hawk's brother, Mountain, was wounded in battle at Diamond Fork above Spanish Fork. Mountain and his warriors had taken some 30 head of cattle from Mapleton, but were caught. The battle resulted in six deaths—two whites and four Utes. This battle was a significant win for the Mormons, as it was the first time they had prevailed and recovered much of their cattle. According to a Springville account, Black Hawk was shot by Col. Creer with a long rifle at 800 yards. But, Black Hawk wasn't even there. He was near Ephraim ailing from his wound. (See Diamond Battle click here.)  

 

1866 July-August, Bishop Canute Peterson of Ephraim, Utah paid a visit to the ailing Ute leader Black Hawk, taking gifts of sugar, hams, bread, beads, molasses, tea, coffee, tobacco, flour, medicines and clothing. The Chief was grateful for the presents and a friendship developed, which put a partial end to the hostilities. Five important Ute leaders, among them Black Hawk, called upon Canute Peterson's home and established peace pacts. As they talked, Sarah Peterson prepared a meal of the good things that could be brought from the cellar and pantry. After the meal, Black Hawk and Canute went across the road and smoked the pipe of peace under the old juniper tree, now referred to as the "peace treaty tree." The old juniper tree still stands on the west bank of the creek. They agreed that they would not fight as long as water continued to run in the creek. A Black Hawk Peace Treaty marker was erected there in 1987. (See the Peace Treaty Tree story here.)

 

In the spring of 1867 at Heber City, a Ute was captured after butchering a cow. He expected to be killed, but Bishop Murdock told him he would be released if he would carry a personal message to Chief Tabby requesting a meeting to negotiate an end to the long and needless war. After Chief Tabby received Joseph’s message, a government Indian agent tried to meet with Tabby, but Tabby said he would only talk with “Old Murdock!”

1867 Aug 12^th: Several accounts explain that while near the Uinta reservation, Black Hawk and his warriors, in a prearranged meeting, met with Indian Superintendent Franklin Head. The Indian people, it appears, had respect for Franklin. It is said that Black Hawk told Franklin that he and his warriors were tired of fighting and wanted peace.

 

Black Hawk, with his massive army, could have caused far more depredations to the “saints”, and certainly had just cause. But in a surprising change of tactics he elected to give up his campaign of vengeance to take a more altruistic course. At that point, all hopes of their ever being free or holding onto their land was gone. And Nooch, knew that the Transcontinental Railroad would soon be completed, meaning an even greater influx of Anglos into Utah.

 

The chief knew what he was doing. Taking upon himself the agony of his people, Black Hawk's discussion was a moral act of courage. Black Hawk handed Franklin his knife and asked him to cut off his hair to symbolically demonstrate his sincerity in wanting peace.  This was no small matter, and it is well worth the effort to understand, for it underscores the humanity and humility of Nooch as a leader.

 

1867 August 17^th: Black Hawk met with his brother, Chief Tabby, who had made preparations to join his warriors with Black Hawk's men. Tabby had sent the women and children to an area where they would be safe. It was time to settle the score with the Mormons. But Black Hawk convinced his brother that it would be better to end the war. The odds were clearly against them, and to continue would mean certain annihilation of their people.

 

1867 August 19^th: Hundreds of Northern Ute people accompanied Chief Tabby and his six sub-chiefs to Heber City. They went directly to Tabby's old friend Joseph Murdock’s home at 115 East 300 North where they camped in his yard and pasture. The following day, four of Murdock’s five wives who were living in Heber City, and the townsfolk prepared a feast on a lot owned by John Carroll, across the street from the Murdock home. A large pit was dug to roast enough beef to feed everyone. Each woman had been asked to bake a dozen loaves of bread. Rows of tables were loaded with corn and whatever the townsfolk could find in their pantries and larders to feed their guests.

The feasting and talk lasted all day. Murdock and Tabby exchanged a few simple gifts. The leaders then went across the street to an upstairs room in Murdock’s home where a peace pipe was smoked and a treaty of friendship was signed. Chief Tabby signed his name and the six sub-chiefs made their marks.

This peace agreement ended the fighting between the settlers in Heber Valley and the Northern Ute people. It was one of the first agreements in a series of peace pacts made between Mormon settlers and Ute leaders that led to the eventual end of the Black Hawk War.

 

Chief Nooch, or Black Hawk, performed many heroic acts of courage and bravery, and it is a matter of record that he sought spiritual guidance in all his decisions. I firmly believe that, were it not for the inspired leadership of this man, many more lives would have been lost in the Black Hawk War in Utah. Victors’ accounts say he "surrendered." I don't think so, because when a leader chooses to follow an altruistic persuasion it is not a "surrender."

 

The news of Black Hawk's tactical maneuver spread quickly. Brigham Young grasped the moment, and took credit for having reconciled the war through vigilance and kindness, underscoring that his policy “to feed them and not fight them”  had paid off. The Rocky Mountain News quoted Brigham Young's boasting, "If you want to get rid of the Indians try and civilize them," a statement that speaks to Brigham's “two hearts.”

 

Black Hawk did not surrender to Brigham Young. Taking upon himself the agony of defeat and the humiliation of his people, if he surrendered, he surrendered to a higher power. He knew it was futile and wrong to expose his people to more torment, while fighting a loosing battle. But the chief's fight for freedom didn't end there. He followed his heart and changed his strategy as he campaigned for peace for three more years prior to his death in 1870. (Please see Black Hawk's Mission of Peace.)

 

1868 March 2: The first, and only, treaty was signed between the Ute and the federal government. It was then ratified on July 25, 1868. (See treaty here)

 

1869-70: In a letter written by William Probert to my g-grandfather Peter Gottfredson, he makes reference to Black Hawk's "Mission of Peace." In spite of the tremendous personal misery that Nooch endured throughout his life from the time he was a child, in the remaining weeks before his death he is described as physically distraught, gaunt, hollow-eyed, skeleton-like; yet he elected to travel by horseback nearly two hundred miles from Cedar City to Springville, Utah. Black Hawk was under heavy guard, and accompanied by his devoted brother Mountain and friend Joe, Along the way they stopped at every Mormon settlement and with dignity Nooch reminded the settlers they had broken their promises, stolen his people’s land and brought disease. Yet, he asked the Saints to forgive him and his people for the sufferings they had caused them, and admonished them to do the same and end the bloodshed. He was well received, and left a lasting impression on the Saints, albeit some took his "Mission of Peace" as a surrender. If he surrendered it was to save the few remaining lives of his people. Black Hawk returned to his place of birth at Spring Lake, and there he died. With honors he was buried high up on the mountainside.

 

1871: U.S. federal troops stepped in and 1500 Ute Indians were driven from their homes in the shining mountains and valleys of both Colorado and Utah at gunpoint, and left to fend for themselves in one of the most desolate regions of Utah. Again, many died from hunger, hopelessness and despair as a result. Carlton Culmsee, writer for the Deseret News observed that Indians on the Uinta reservation, set aside by Abraham Lincoln in 1861, were distraught and were, as he said: "So many kegs of powder, sullen, and silent potentials for violence...believing that the government had not kept their promises of schools, houses, mills, aids for farming," since the federal government was ignoring the Utah Indians’ demand that promises be kept. White employees on the reservation, sent to keep watch over the now-segregated Indian people (at gun point), also were neglected as food and supplies were often scant. However, as government officials responded, their needs were satisfied by taking from the Indians what meager food supplies they had for themselves. As anger was fueled, the disgruntled Indian people were appeased by token amounts of food and trinkets distributed among them by reservation employees. "And the Mormons were, of course, not blameless," Culmsee points out, "while those 'saints' who disregarded Brigham Young's admonition to deal fairly with the Indian people, these men offset in considerable measure what Brigham Young's wisdom accomplished, and caused some reservation Indians to distrust the Mormons." But even Brigham had to admit, regarding his own people, that the “Architects of Zion” had to “work with such material as the Lord has provided, stupidity, wooden shoes, and cork brains thrown into the bargain.”

 

 

The Legacy of the Black Hawk War -- Perpetual Demoralization

 

"That's all in the past, we should just forget about it! The LDS Church has done more for the Indians than any other church on the face of the earth. They (Indians) are the chosen people."

 

Arrogance didn't end with the war. Imagine, if you will, having the corpse of your father disrespectfully unearthed by grave robbers; then, for some strange reason, put on public display in the church museum on Temple Square as a curiosity. The remains of Brigham Young are buried in consecrated ground. Black Hawk's remains were unearthed by Mormon looters in 1919, just 49 years following his death. And, for weeks, were placed in the window of a co-op store in downtown Spanish Fork; afterwards they were taken to the LDS church museum on Temple Square in Salt Lake City. Was the reason simply amusement for others? Was grave robbing for art, pleasure, punishment, a morbid fascination of death, divine obligation, or, most importantly, the wielding of power?

 

Oh yes, I vividly recall seeing the display in the museum as a boy, as do countless others, and no doubt some reading this remember as well. For the skeletal remains of Nooch remained there for nearly 70 years, and all the while his living descendents bore the agony, and humiliation—unable to convince the church to give up the remains of their beloved grandfather. Once again I echo the words of Brigham Young in a speech delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, April 6, 1854: "If the inhabitants of this territory, my brethren, had never condescended to reduce themselves to the practices of the Indians, to their low, degraded condition, and in some cases even lower, there never would have been any trouble between us and our red neighbors. Treat them kindly, and treat them as Indians, and not as your equals."  

 

In the year Black Hawk's remains were dug up by Bishop Ben Bullock and Lars Croft, Heber J. Grant was president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, followed by George Albert Smith (1945-1951); David O. McKay (1951-1970); Joseph Fielding Smith (1970-1972); Harold B. Lee (1972-1973); Spencer W. Kimball (1973-1985); and Ezra Taft Benson (1985-1994). These prophets have administered the affairs of the church from church headquarters in Salt Lake City. These men presided over "God’s church" as the "mouthpiece of God," but, for some reason, never had enough respect or compassion toward their fellow man to give up their claim to the bones of Black Hawk, or even consider his living descendants. Even to this day, the burial site of Nooch is owned by the LDS Church. 

 

The family of Nooch/Black Hawk had no legal or political recourse until 86 years after his grave was robbed. In 1996, under the protection of the Native American Graves Protection Reparation Act (NAGPRA) enacted by then president George Bush Sr., the family of Ute leader Chief Nooch/Black Hawk was at last able to rescue his remains. With the help of Charmain Thompson, archeologist for the National Forest Service, his bones were found in a storage box in a basement room at BYU. Gratitude and credit goes to a young Boy Scout, Shane Armstrong, who, in 1993, elected to earn his Eagle Badge by getting Black Hawk registered with the National Forest Service NAGPRA. For weeks no one could locate his remains, according to newspaper articles. "I thought it was weird that no one had records on him," the young scout remarked to reporters. Citizens of the small community of Spring Lake, where Black Hawk was born and died, working to assist the family, built a beautiful pine coffin and raised funds for a headstone. People donated materials, labor and gifts; hundreds attended the service, and, at long last, Nooch, or Black Hawk. returned home. (Source Material: Please see NAGPRA document and Deseret Evening News 1919. Interviews with family members and residents of Spring Lake, Marva Lavoy Egget, Charmain Thompson and Shane Armstrong)

 

The tradition of exhibiting native Indian remains in western societies has existed since the earliest encounters between Europeans and indigenous populations. Exhibiting non-white bodies as a popular practice reached its peak in the nineteenth century in both Europe and the USA. The exhibition of native people for public entertainment in circuses, zoos, and museums became fairly common. In the USA, in particular, the spectacle of "freaks," "natives," and "savages" became a profitable industry at this time, as in popular traveling shows like Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show and Barnum and Bailey's Circus. World Expositions were also popular for the display of native bodies. Dissected and embalmed remains of native bodies,  particularly the skulls and sexual organs, were also publicly exhibited.

 

So I say that, to judge the Indian people as "loathsome" and "savage," is simply racism. If the remains of your father, or say, Brigham Young were dug up and put on public display in the window of a hardware store, would there be anger? Would you feel demoralized? Would you perhaps feel rage? Suppose all your anger fell upon deaf ears, and you were told there is nothing you can do about it, and you had to wait 86 years before you are granted legal right to the remains of your own family member. Then, I ask, why is it ok to apply a standard for one people, and not equally? Are we all children of God—or just some?

 

___________________o___________________

 

In Closing:

 

Mr. Gottfredson states, "Personally I am disgusted that our fellow citizens living in this age are being treated with such indifference. And that we, we who live as neighbors to indigenous people know so little of their lives. We can say "that's all in the past and we just need to forget about it. But it would be criminal to do so. I can't count the times when I have heard people say, "we just need to forget the past and move on." I feel we owe it to the Native people of Utah to understand and feel their pain. (Please see The Black Hawk War legacy here)

 

So it is that there is much healing needed on both sides—healing that can only come  self-respect, from mutual respect, and understanding. Somehow we need to find a common language that will bring us together as one people, without having to compromise our individuality, our traditions, our culture, but in a good way, where there is freedom for all to live a decent life, without forcing our individual beliefs and hang-ups upon one another; a way that we may walk our paths together as equals, with dignity, integrity, honesty, respecting each other, being kind to each other; a way that we may stand before our Creator without shame.

 

I do not have the honor of being a spokesman for the Native people, nor do I pretend to be. And if we are going to understand their side of the story, they will have to be the ones who tell it. It's not about just the Indian peoples though, or this race or that. It's about the human race. We need to remember that if it can happen to one of us, it can happen to all of us.

 

It is my dream, my hope, my prayer that some day soon the American Indian people can find their rightful place in this beautiful land that is and always has been their home. But where do we begin the healing process? Where do we find the language that will at long last bring us together as one people? The answer is right under our hats. It begins with each individual. For when our hearts are straight the rest will naturally fall into place. Do you wish there to be love in the world? Then be loving. Do you wish there to be kindness in the world? Then be kind. Do you want there to be honesty, integrity, humility in the world? Then follow your heart.

 

I cherish my friendships with the Native people. They have been kind, open-hearted, open-minded, and respectful toward me, always. I admit that such friendships didn't come easy; I had to earn their respect and endure many challenges. But I was never forced to compromise my own personal beliefs; all they asked of me was to be myself, and speak from my heart. I did learn it was better to shut up and listen—something the Native people believe we non-Indians don't do. And when I first heard them call me their "brother" I wept, knowing it was an honor, and not to be taken for granted.

 

"Maybe to this day a few Utes slip over the Utah-Colorado line to garner a few messes of ‘buckskin’ in the mellow days of autumn and to dream of other autumns, of other days and customs, and to relive for a few moments the dreams of their ancestors.

 

The days of the mountain men, the early rancher, the cattle kings, and the homesteaders have passed, and now the lowly sheep is king. But time may change it all, and who knows but what in some distant future the Utes may again roam and hunt in the hallowed hills of their forebears, silent and wrapped in the mystic haze of Indian summer." - Val Fitzpatrick

 

To all our relations~

 

 

 

        

 

~end~

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