Timpanogos Chief Wakara
Author Phillip B Gottfredson - Gary Lee Price Scultor
My Journey to Understand Black Hawk's Mission of Peace My journey began in 1989, when my brother and I read our great-grandfather Peter Gottfredson's book, Indian Depredations in Utah. Published in 1919, Peter's book is a firsthand account of the events surrounding the Black Hawk War in Utah.
Our father had told us that Peter and Black Hawk were about the same age and had known each other as boys. Our father had lived with Peter as a teenager and told us that Peter spent much of his time in the Indian camps. That made me curious. What was my great-grandfather's experience like living among the Indians?
My journey didn't begin with Black Hawk. It didn't begin with the Black Hawk War. And it certainly didn't begin with the idea of writing a book. It began with that one simple question. But finding the answer would take me on a journey lasting more than two decades and would change my life in ways I could never have imagined.
As my brother and I began searching for answers, we discovered something that surprised us. Almost no one we talked to had heard of the Timpanogos. Most people knew the name because of Mount Timpanogos, but few connected that name to a Native people. Even fewer knew much about the Black Hawk War.
My curiosity became a passion. I wanted to understand who the Timpanogos were, what they believed, and why they had been treated with such brutality—much of which Peter himself had described. The logical place to begin was the library. We read everything we could find about the Black Hawk War. The more we read, the more questions we had. The histories we encountered were largely written from the perspective of Mormon settlers, while the Native side of the story was never a part of the Narrative.
Then we encountered another problem. The people Peter had known as Timpanogos were being described in the historical record as Ute. The more I read, the more confusing the story became, and more unanswered questions. The story I had inherited did not seem to explain the people Peter had known.
Years passed. Then in 2015 I received a call from the Chief of the Timpanogos, Mary Murdock Meyer. Mary told me, “I have been following your website. You have the history correct, but you have the wrong Tribe. Haven't you ever heard of the Timpanogos?”
“Yes,” I answered. “They are Ute.”
“No,” she said. “That's why I am calling you.”
From that day forward, my journey took on a new direction. Mary became an important part of that journey, and she later collaborated with me in bringing this book together.
Before meeting Mary, I had the privilege of living among Native American people throughout North and South America. Elders of the Shoshone and other Tribes welcomed me and invited me to participate in ceremonies and learn from their traditions. Some may call it fate how I came to live among the Timpanogos, just as my great-grandfather had. Those experiences changed me. The Elders shared their culture, history, wisdom, and spiritual teachings with me.
They taught me about connection, relationship, reciprocity, humility, and respect for the Creator and the natural world. When I once asked how I could repay them for everything they had done for me, they answered: “Nothing. All we ask is that you teach your people what we have taught you—with, love, and kindness.” I never pretended to be Native American. I remained who I was. But I made a sacred promise to the Elders, and I have kept that promise. Then they told me: “They will listen to you because you are white.”
I have carried those words with me ever since. My experiences also changed the way I understood my great-grandfather. I never knew Peter personally. He died before I was born. But I spent many hours talking with family members who had known him well. They described him as a compassionate man, a man of integrity who cared deeply about others.
Peter had known Black Hawk since they were twelve or thirteen years old. They had grown up together, running around as boys, long before either could have imagined what their lives would become. And as I learned more about the traditional teachings and values of Native people, I began to see something I had not understood when I first opened Peter's book.
The qualities my family remembered in Peter—compassion, integrity, respect, and concern for others—were also qualities deeply rooted in the teachings I was learning from Native Elders. Perhaps that is why Peter and Black Hawk understood one another so well. Perhaps they recognized something of themselves in each other. I felt they were kindred spirits.
Then I discovered something in Peter's book that I could not forget. It was only one line. Peter called Black Hawk's final journey his “Mission of Peace.” I read those words again. And again. Peter never clearly explained what he meant. He didn't elaborate on the phrase or tell the reader why he called Black Hawk's journey a mission of peace. But I couldn't move on. Why would a man who witnessed man's inhumanity to mankind, while dying from complications of a gunshot wound that had never properly healed undertake such a painful journey?
As I continued my research, the question became impossible to ignore. Black Hawk knew he was going to die. Yet he made one final journey a hundred and eighty miles across Utah to the place of his birth, Spring Lake. One final appeal for peace. Why? I believe Peter's friendship with Black Hawk helps answer that question. Peter knew what was in his friend's heart. He had known him since they were boys. And now, after everything I had learned from the Timpanogos and the Elders, I began to understand why those three words in Peter's book had affected me so deeply.
Black Hawk's Mission of Peace. That became the theme at the heart of my journey. My book begins with the history of the Black Hawk War as experienced by the Timpanogos and other Native people who survived it. But the journey does not end with the history of the war. To understand Black Hawk, I had to go deeper. I had to understand the people who knew him, the teachings that shaped their lives, and the worldview through which they understood the human condition, and their relationship with Mother Earth and the great mystery of life. That is where my personal journey became part of the story.
Peter recorded what he witnessed. I picked up the torch for Peter; I began where he left off and continued the search for what his account could not fully explain. My journey began with a question about my great-grandfather. It led me to the Timpanogos. The Timpanogos led me to Black Hawk. And Black Hawk led me back to Peter.
There was one final piece of serendipity. Peter published his book in 1919. One hundred years to the very day, in 2019, I published mine. I had never planned it that way. It simply happened.
What began as a simple question about my great-grandfather became a lifelong journey to understand the people he knew, the history they endured, and the man Peter called Black Hawk—and his Mission of Peace.
It is an honor to share what I have learned with you.
Five Star Reviews!
"I finished reading your YOUR UNBELIEVABLE BOOK your experiences blew me away and I love how you dovetailed your views & everything so beautifully together!!! WOW WOW WOWWW!!!" - Gary Lee Price
My Journey to Understand ... Black Hawk's Mission of Peace grabbed me! The way you understand the Black Hawk War will change with Phillip B Gottfredson's detailed account, which brings the Timpanogos perspective to light—a viewpoint long overshadowed in history books. Through decades of living among First Nations people, Gottfredson shares insights from his spiritual journey and collaboration with tribal leaders. He uncovers the resilience and humanity of Timpanogos leader Black Hawk, who sought peace even in the face of devastation. This book offers more than history—it’s a powerful reflection on forgiveness, equality, and the sacred connection between humanity and the Earth. — that’s masterful storytelling. - James Timothy
"Mr. Gottfredson has done an amazing job of telling this story with passion and honesty. As you follow him through his journey of discovery, you will be captivated by his experiences. Bravo, Sir !" -Barely Ablemann, Washington DC
"This account is critical to understanding history from more than one perspective. This book brings light and knowledge to history that has been absent since the colonization of the United States." -J. Ferguson
"I am not exaggerating when I say that this book has changed my life. I can't recommend it enough". -Stephanie T Lundeen
"Diana and I have just finished reading a book that is told from the long forgotten Timpanogos Nation by Phil Gottfredson or Mr. Phil. My heart heaved. And the tears flowed from both our eyes as we heard the Indian version and their stories. This book ranks in the top 5 of all the hundreds of books that I have ever read in my life...and I have read hundreds if not thousands. Please purchase a copy of this book and read it. Truth matters. - Larry Ballard, Utah
"Wow... where do I start? I am grateful I read this book. I am grateful for the Author who wrote this book. I will be buying more copies to give away, and for sure recommending this book to as many will listen. 5-Stars" - Marcus Hadlock, Utah
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My journey to understand...
Black Hawk's Mission of Peace!
Hi, this is Phillip. Buy direct from me so I can personally autograph your book!
from my heart to yours, THANK YOU !
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Copyright: 2019
Buy my great-granpa's book too...
Indian Depredations in Utah
by Peter Gottfredson 1919
Phillip B Gottfredson’s quest for truth promoting history began with his great-grandfather Peter Gottfredson’s classic history, Indian Depredations in Utah — a cornerstone work in the annals of Utah history.
First published in 1919, the book offers a rare firsthand account of early settlement in the Great Basin and the violent conflicts that devastated the Timpanogos Nation during the era of Mormon expansion and settler colonialism. Deeply meaningful to Phillip, the work became the foundation for his lifelong journey to better understand Utah's Indigenous history, identity, and reconciliation.
Indian Depredations in Utah and My Journey to Understand Black Hawk's Mission of Peace, published one hundred years apart in 1919 and 2019, stand as companion books — two generations connected by a shared search for historical truth and understanding.
Indian Depredations in Utah is currently available from Amazon in a softcover edition for $20.95. Phillip has added a new preface; otherwise, the book remains exactly as originally published.
5-star Reviews! "Peter Gottfredson's Indian Depredations in Utah is a classic firsthand account of the Black Hawk War in Utah. I highly recommend this account to anyone." -Benson Littlefield
"A very interesting book. Even though I live in Utah, and am somewhat of a history buff, this book tells a lot more about the Indians in Utah than I ever knew. It was worth my time to read it." -Ken in Riverton
Don't let the voices of the past go unheard. Purchase your copy now !!
