This website first went into service in the year 2002, and has
since been dedicated to the history of the First People of Utah.
Black Hawk Productions, LLC is an independent video production
company licensed in the State of Utah specializing in American Indian history. It's founder
Phillip B Gottfredson established the company in 2007 and was
formed for the single purpose of producing the documentary film
of the Black Hawk War in Utah. The "Black Hawk War Project," as
it is referred to, is the companies only project at this time.
The project is complex and has required the contracting of
professional filmmakers, directors, and historians. Black Hawk
Productions has funded the project through grants from major
institutions and private donors.
PHILLIP GOTTFREDSON:
"Over the past eight years study of the Black Hawk War has been
my passion as I have devoted all my time to understanding it's
legacy. I have read a score of books and a pile of research
material on the subject of Utah
history and Christian expansion across America. I have
researched journals, diaries, countless documentaries, archives,
and libraries. More importantly I lived with Native Indians for two and half
years learning their traditions and life-ways, participating in
sacred ceremonies, attended lectures, storytelling, watched
documentaries by Indian filmmakers, and have been taught oral
histories from elders. With the Native people I have danced,
sang songs, participated in drumming circles, shared many
prayers, helped build a traditional sweat lodge, attended and participated
in pow wows, attended healing ceremonies, been counseled, given
blessings, made to endure countless challenges to demonstrate my
honesty and sincerity. I have traveled thousands of miles, met
with learned tribal leaders, spiritual leaders, medicine men,
from as many as 12 different tribes from California, to Arizona,
Utah, Montana, Oregon, Nevada, and I spent one week at the grand
opening of the National Museum of the American Indian in
Washington DC.
But, I am not a spokesman for the Indian people,
nor do I consider myself to be an expert. And while I have many
Indian friends whom I consult, I do not know everything, and I
have a lot more I want to learn. But, I am an advocate for the
Native people and stand beside them in their quest for a
decent life. I have opinions and something to say and teach, and I
am proud to share with you through this website the wisdom and
fruits of my journey.
THE BLACK HAWK WAR PROJECT
has been a labor of love. I am not being
paid for my work, and enjoy a very humble existence. While the rewards have been priceless spiritually, and I have no
desire or motivation to profit from the tragic past of others. Any
project of this magnitude does require funding from many sources as a matter
of necessity and cannot be accomplished on goodwill alone."
About this Website
Over the years I
have written and re-written this website many times. As my understanding
and knowledge grew so I made changes to the content accordingly. Times I
felt I was being too blunt and focusing too much on the negative side of
the story of the Black Hawk War of Utah. Other
times I felt I wasn't going far enough that people's eyes were glossing
over desensitized to human suffering.
The content of
this site is difficult for most people to get their heads around, so to
speak. Most all of the stories and articles I have included and written
focus on the injustices the Indian peoples of Utah have had to endure.
As Americans, and citizens of Utah, when we look back at our history we
want to find the heroes and stories of our ancestors that are inspiring.
But the story of the Black Hawk war in Utah is brutal and bloody—one of
the most inhumane wars in American history.
It may sound that
I am being apologetic for the material I have incorporated in this
website but, in fact, I am not. For what I have posted is the truth as
far as I understand it from the
sources from which I drew upon.
For the most part I am
only repeating what has been written decades ago but has been ignored.
I think we are so
accustomed to reading what I call "feel good" accounts of our ancestors,
those "brave pioneers" of the American west, and because we have seldom
heard the Indians perspective the stories can often sound far-fetched
and exaggerated. In many cases the exact opposite is true. We
believe a lot of bald faced lies, we're just are not aware of it. Many
were the times I felt something is missing as I read the victors
accounts, yet still determined to get to the truth
over and again I had to face the grim reality that the closer I looked
the more I had to come to grips with the cold facts. It's no
wonder this part of history has been ignored. The story of the west is a
mix of pride and shame. Utah has a dark side to it's history, things
that would cause any decent man to wince even speaking about it. And I
am sure that's the case with so many good people over the years,
they have simply
made the choice to forget the past rather than talk about it. Because, it
raises too many questions about church leaders and the decisions they
made. And if your a good Mormon you just never question church leaders,
even when they're wrong. Which never made any sense to me ever.
But for the people
who's ancestors where the victims of the past they don't have the choice
to forget. For every day is a reminder of unimaginable brutality they
suffered. From the beginning when I first became acquainted with the Native
peoples several years ago, what I observed, with sadness, is how much
they continue to mourn the agony of their ancestors. As any normal
human being would do under the same circumstances. And because we
non-Indians never think of the past, to them we seem insensitive and cold, a people without compassion toward their fellow human beings.
For all of these
reasons I have mentioned is why I have been passionate about this story. But
there is yet another reason, one that is far more important. People say
our ancestors lived in another time, and we should not try and judge
them by our modern social ethics and standards. I have given
considerable thought to that suggestion. But you know, human injustices
are horrible a hundred years ago as today. Genocide transcends time, for
there is not a statute of limitations placed on genocide. There is not a
time period when such heinous acts can be simply brushed aside and
forgotten.
Folks, there has
been many a sleepless night I have agonized over this subject of man's
inhumanity to man. But why should I be the messenger? I guess I am a
lot like my great-grandfather Peter Gottfredson who spent 20 years
writing his book Indian Depredations in Utah. Twenty years. Why
would a man spend so much of his time writing a book? That
question nearly drove me crazy trying to answer. But it finally came to
me as I became acquainted with the Indian people. And frankly it was the only way I
could have found the answer, like grandfather who had spent much of his
life living in the Ute Indian camps during the war, like him I
couldn't help but fall in love with these people. I know grandfather
struggled to find the heroes among our ancestors, but he knew firsthand
the ugly truth of those dark days. And so he wrote his book
about the Black Hawk War.
Perhaps it is my
purpose to try and find the illusive reconciliation that he seemed to be
searching for. He wrote this just before he died, "In my minds eye I can see
where I could have done better, but would I. We can look back and see
where we could have done better, but would we. Environments have much to
do with shaping our natures character and destiny. Had we at certain
stage in life taken a different course it is impossible to know where it
would ultimately have led to. So I say, it is no use to harbor regrets,
but necessary to make the best of the future. Life is a stream leading
to somewhere. I have often in my minds eye compared it with starting out
on a highway with many roads leading off in different directions, each
leading to a different place and in each place conditions differ, as do
the people with whom we would associate. Which would affect our
condition in life, physically, morally and intellectually, and who shall
say which would have been the best road for us to have followed; and
here we are, so I say, and advice; try to so live each day that there
will be no regrets."
Indeed he was right. He must have learned it from his Native friends. We
spend too much time looking outside of our selves to find the answers,
we need to look within. When our own hearts are good, our lives will be
good.
The story of the black Hawk war of Utah, as disturbing and bloody it is,
there is a powerful message we all need to know about. And this message
comes from a man who was bigger than life itself. He was not chosen just
for his skills as a warrior to lead his people the Utes. For when a man
stands alone he can do whatever pleases him. But a man who serves his
people must bow his head for the good of all. And this was the man known
to the Utes as Nooch, to the whites as Black Hawk.
P.O. Box 63
