The Utah Black Hawk War Research Updates & News

We are told we can’t wear the same clothes, speak our language, or eat the food we are accustomed to. We are no longer free to come and go as we please unless we are given written permission to do so. We are no longer entitled to the resources on our land unless given permission. And finally, we can only worship their god. What would you do?

This is what happened to the Shoshone Timpanogos people when the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, under the leadership of Brigham Young, settled in Utah Territory in 1847.

The Doctrine of Discovery was created in 1493, a year after Columbus arrived on the shores of North America; Christian Monarchies decreed that anyone who did not believe in the God of the Bible was deemed "heathens," "infidels," and "savages."

Steven T. Newcomb, Indigenous Law Institute and author of "Pagans in the Promised Land" said it succinctly: "Indian nations have been denied their most basic rights ... simply because, at the time of Christendom's arrival in the Americas, they did not believe in the God of the Bible, and did not believe that Jesus Christ was the true Messiah... This is the land promised by the Eternal Father to the Faithful, since we are commanded by God in the Holy Scriptures to take it from them, being idolaters, by reason of their idolatry and sin, to put them all to the knife, leaving no living thing save maidens and children, their cities robbed and sacked, their walls and houses leveled to the earth. This is the basis for the denial of Indian rights in federal Indian law and remains as true today as it was in 1823."

"The ways of life, identities, well-being and very existence of Indigenous People are threatened by the continuing effects of settler-colonization and national policies, regulations and laws that attempt to force them to assimilate into the cultures of majoritarian societies. A fundamental historical basis and legal precedent for these policies and laws is the "Doctrine of Discovery", the idea that Christians enjoy a moral and legal right based solely on their religious identity to invade and seize indigenous lands and to dominate Indigenous Peoples." - World Council of Churches

"Papal authority is the basis for United States power over indigenous peoples but this fact is not generally understood, even by lawyers who work with federal Indian law. This is due in large part to the sophistry of John Marshall, one of the greatest figures in the pantheon of the U. S. Supreme Court in 1801. Marshall borrowed from Papal Bulls the essential legalisms needed for state power over indigenous peoples. Johnson v. McIntosh has never been overruled. "Christian discovery" remains the legal foundation for United States sovereignty over indigenous peoples' lands. But it is concealed, as most foundations are, because Johnson v. McIntosh acts as a laundromat for religious concepts. After Marshall's opinion, no lawyer or court would need to acknowledge that land title claims in United States law are based on a doctrine of Christian supremacy. From that time on, in law and history books, "European" would be substituted for "Christian," so that school child and lawyer alike could speak of the "age of discovery" as the age of "European expansion." See The Doctrine of Discovery for more information.

"I didn't write this article, AI did... Youre absolutly correct! I wrote most of it. I appologise."

As many of you know, I, Phillip B. Gottfredson, and Blackhawkproductions.com have been reporting on the Black Hawk War in Utah over the past two decades. Then, in 2019, I published my book, "My Journey to Understand Black Hawk's Mission of Peace," which has consistently received 5-star reviews. Now comes AI and artificial intelligence, and so far, it is living up to its name. Artificial, by definition, means 'fake.' That's all we need in our world, more fake stuff, right?

Well, folks, so far, fake intelligence hasn't been kind to blackhawkproductions.co nor the Timpanogos Nation. We have worked diligently to present to the public a more accurate portrayal of the Black Hawk War in Utah from the perspective of the Indigenous people of the Utah Territory. There have been many issues to address to accomplish our goal; one in particular has been the issue of Tribal identity. You would think that historians and scholars, after nearly 178 years, would have figured out that the Timpanogos Nation and the Ute Nation are two distinctly different Indigenous cultures, differing in language, bloodlines, and cultural practices. The Timpanogos are Shoshone and were first reported by Spanish explorers Dominguez and Escalante in 1776, 249 years ago. In their journals, they never mention having met Utes. However, artificial intelligence suggests that the Timpanogos are Ute.

So, being the kind of person I am, I went toe-to-toe with AI and said, "I'm sorry, but you got it wrong. The Timpanogos are not Ute." Then AI responded, "You are absolutely right. The Timpanogos and Ute are two separate Tribes. I am sorry. I apologize," and it went on giving a history. I took it a step further, asking AI why it made a mistake about the Timpanogos and Ute being the same Tribe. Now, it really got interesting when AI replied, "There may be contradictory accounts, but the earliest account asserts that the Timpanogos is Shoshone.

The next day, I asked AI the same question, "Are the Timpanogos Ute?" AI replied, "YES". Again, I said, "You are wrong." and again, AI apologized.

Okay, I get it; it's a new technology, and there is a disclaimer that clearly states, "AI is not always accurate." Meanwhile, here at blackhawkproductions.com, we are scrambling to make our website AI-friendly.

One side note worth mentioning. We have hard evidence that Brigham Young ordered the Tiumpanogos to be "exterminated." AI says, Yes, Brigham said that, but he didn't mean genocide. Hmmm, his exact words were, "I say go and kill them all...let the women and children live if they behave themselves." I got help from Grammarly by using these AI prompts:

"Thirty years of living among Native Americans, I have not found one savage."

During a recent visit to the Provo City Library Special Collections, I discovered a fantastic three-volume set of books written in the years 1832 and 1839 by George Catlin, titled "North American Indians."

In Volume 1, Catlin describes how he set out to sketch the Native American tribes in North America. What I found remarkable was, in his own words, "how misunderstood they are." Catlin refers to Indigenous people as "an anomaly among men." They were kind-hearted, respectful, and generous, he said. It struck me hard because his description mirrors my own experience exactly!

National Museum of the American Indian, Washington DC.

When I began my research in 1989, I attended the Grand Opening of the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC. There were thousands of Indigenous people from all over the world. During my stay, I had a great time. I met hundreds of Indigenous people; they were fun to be around. I watched them dance, listened to them tell stories, and even shed happy tears with some. In thirty years of living among Native Americans, I have not found one savage. - Phillip B Gottfredson

AI (Artificial Intellegence) as the Name Implies

If our job hasn't been hard enough teaching intelligent people the Timpanogos Nation's perspective on the Black Hawk War in Utah over the past quarter of a century, and now comes artificial intelligence.

The challenge with AI so far is... where do I begin? Oh... Example: Two buddies are talking over a cup of coffee. and one says to the other, "They say the world is going to end soon." The other guy asks, "Who are THEY?" His buddy says, "you know, the experts!" Well, folks, that's where we're at with AI when asking a simple question like, "What was the Black Hawk War in Utah about?" I have asked AI that question a half dozen times, and I get six different answers. AI compiles its answers from all the available sources. There are many, and each has a distinct and often conflicting argument. And AI doesn't always credit its source. And AI's answers depend on HOW you ask your question.

Unfortunately, I can't blame everything on AI as much as I want. Here's the problem. In Utah, we have many different Universities and educational institutions, and none of them agree with each other on the events of the Black Hawk War in Utah. Some are saying the War was between 1865 and 1873, leaving out 26 years of horrific violence, starvation, and disease, a direct result of Mormon settler colonialism that began in 1847. Historians and writers can't even agree that the Timpanogos and Ute are two separate Tribes in origin, language, and bloodlines. Mainly because no one ever asked the Timpanogos! Maybe you think I'm joking. Hundreds of books have been written on the War, and no historian has ever requested the Timpanogos explain who they are. And it follows AI can't figure it out, either, because there is so much confusion among the experts.

I asked AI who the Timpanogos are. AI answered, "They are Ute." I corrected AI and said, "You got it wrong. They are not Ute." AI said, "You are absolutely correct. The Timpanogos are Snake Shoshone, not Ute."

Last year, I spent $800 at the local coffee shop while writing updates to our website to ensure its accuracy and ranking in the search results. Wait... I just got a text from Google. It says, "Get the Most Out of Gemini on Web." Okay, thanks, Google. "Hello, coffee shop, hey, make me a double espresso with a double shot of Everclear!" Huh? No, I'll sleep in the car tonight.

Mayan Elders Honor Phillip B Gottfredson with a seat at the fire as a Mayan Shaman.

I explained that I learned to sing the song from my Shoshone brothers and was given permission from the elders to sing it to ask the eagle to carry our prayers to the Creator. With my rattle in one hand, I sang three rounds of the song, and on the fourth round, Jörge was pointing to the sky. I looked up, and two eagles were circling above us. The song ended, and everyone raised their hands, praying, laughing, and amazed. I was in tears. It happened just that way. And as I sat in my place at the fire, I couldn't stop crying, trying to understand it all. They said I am so filled with the spirit of love and they now call me Elder and Shaman. See Phillip B Gottfredson In The Heart of Mayan Country

Radio Free Mormon Podcast with Phillip B Gottfredson and Chief Excutive of the Timpanogos Nation Mary Meyer!

UPDATE TO UPCOMING PODCAST! Chief Executive of the Timpanogos Nation Mary Meyer, and historian Phillip B Gottfredson will be interviewed on the RADIO FREE MORMON podcast this Wednesday at 6:20 PM MST. You don't want to miss this one! It could be Epic!

Source Material For The Mormon Black Hawk War In Utah by Phillip B Gottfredson

Phillip B Gottfredson Biography

Read on Substack

Phillip B Gottfredson and BlackHawkProductions.com has teamed up with Jacky Xoxo, a Social Media Specialist and Documentary Filmmaker, to collaborate on a series of videos on the Black Hawk War in Utah, and Phillip's extraordinary journey into the Native American culture. "I’m excited to work with Jacky," said Phillip. "Jacky is very passionate about their years of experience as a filmmaker, and deeply committed to our advocacy for Native American sovereignty, treaties, and aboriginal rights. Holding the government, organizations, and institutions accountable for withholding true Native American history from the public, which caused irreversible damage to the Timpanogos Nation, who are Indigenous to Utah, by sugarcoating settler colonialism, taking their land and resources, hunting rights, fishing rights, and religious freedom without a treaty or compensation.”

RADIO FREE MORMON PODCAST

Phillip B Gottfredson and Mary Meyer will be guests on the Radio Free Mormon podcast live on April 30th at 6:20 pm. Everyone is invited to tune in at https://streamyard.com/ykbn9tykgz
We will keep you updated if there are any changes.

Website Updates

Hi folks, This is just to inform you of a couple of updates to the website. We have combined the Utah Old Man web designer

Black Hawk War Timeline page with the Research Menu. What you will see at the top menu of each page is "Black Hawk War Timeline," or "Timeline." It was a long-overdue update, making it easier to navigate. There could be some bugs, so please be patient. We'll kill those pesky critters.

I was thinking about the Timeline Page over coffee this morning. The old version that I just replaced, I created in 1998 using a FrontPage wysiwyg editor. That page I recall took me several days to make back then, and functioned perfectly for 27 years! A testament to an old-school web designer. Yes, I'll admit I get sentimental about these things. There's no bling, and nothing flashy about my website. That's intentional. I believe the nature of the content requires reverance and respect, don't you?. I turn 80 this month. -Phillip

The Sky is Falling...The Sky is Falling!

My journey to San Pedro was to research the historical, and spiritual connection between North and South American Native peoples. I visited San Pedro in 2012 when uninformed North Americans said the Maya had predicted the world would end. The Maya never made any such claim. It was, however, an auspicious time in Mayan history when they celebrated the advent of Job Ajaw, the start of a period when harmony, understanding, peace, and wisdom could reign, according to Carlos Barrios, a member of the Mayan Elders Council. Barrios describes in his book The Book of Destiny that "Somewhere along the way, Western society began to assume that human beings have the right to dominate plants, animals, even each other. The result of this materialist outlook is an economical, ecological, social, and moral crisis that has caused the downfall of other cultures."

In 2012, sacred ceremonies were a huge part of my experience in San Pedro, Guatemala. There were times when the air was beautifully scented with spices being burned in the ceremonial fires around Lake Ititlan. What I heard in these powerful ceremonies were prayers for world peace. What I learned from their teachings, a nearly identical belief of the North American indigenous peoples, was that the heart knows not the color of the skin. The Mayans welcome people from all walks of life in the spirit of equality and teach their children to honor Honesty, Love, Courage, Truth, Wisdom, Humility, and Respect. See Phillip B Gottfredson In The Heart of Mayan Country.

Were Native American heathens and savages as we are led to believe?

On a visit to the public library's special collections, I found a three-volume set of books by George Catlin from 1832 to 1839. This book is an extremely interesting account of Native Tribes in North America. What Catlin found remarkable was how misunderstood they were. He referred to them as “an anomaly among men. They were kind-hearted, respectful, and generous.” Validating my own experience living with them for over 25 years. His description mirrored mine exactly.

"Native American culture is a perfect example of total spirituality without religion." Elders of the Shoshonee and other Tribes invited me to participate in numerous ceremonies. It was life-changing. My spiritual experiences humbled me, profoundly changed my understanding of what it means to be human and opened my eyes to our sacred connection with Mother Earth. Understanding Native American time-honored traditions is essential when establishing meaningful relations with them, especially for educators with Indigenous students.

Honesty, love, respect, courage, truth, wisdom, and humility are ancient traditional virtues and values that Black Hawk and Indigenous people have honored throughout their history.
Sadly, scholars ignore that the age-old message of Indigenous America is about 'connection, relationship, and unity.' All people are one. All are the direct living descendants of our Creator. Lakota Chief Joseph said, 'We have no qualms about color. It doesn't mean anything."

There can be no doubt that this was Chief Black Hawk's message when he made his last ride home to pass out of this world in peace. In severe pain, dying from a gunshot wound to his stomach. In the final hours of his life, Chief Black Hawk made an agonizing hundred-and-eight-mile journey by horseback from Cedar City in southern Utah to Payson. He advocated for peace and an end to the bloodshed. This heroic journey was Black Hawk's 'mission of peace.' Still, colonialists were too arrogant to see what it meant to be human. Chief Black Hawk died on September 26, 1870.

We need to look beyond religion to find the answers

Our goal for 2025 is to focus more on the sacred practices of Indigenous people. We need to break through the stereotypical beliefs that Indigenous people in Utah and America were "heathens and savages."

Regrettably, scholars often overlook the age-old message of Indigenous America, a message of 'connection, relationship, and unity.' It's a message that reminds us that all people are one; all are the direct living descendants of our Creator. As Lakota Chief Joseph eloquently said, "We have no qualms about color. It doesn't mean anything." This message of unity and inclusivity is one that we all can and should embrace.

Historian Phillip B Gottfredson's research offers a unique perspective, delving into the profound, sacred connection of Indigenous people with each other and Mother Earth, a perspective often overlooked.

The Indigenous culture, as exemplified by Native Americans, embodies a timeless spirituality devoid of religious constraints. The virtues of honesty, love, respect, courage, truth, wisdom, and humility have been revered by Black Hawk and his people throughout their history, underscoring their enduring relevance.

The Posts for 2024 Have Been Archived

All of the news articles for 2024 have been archived, except for a few I felt were still relevant. You can visit the archive by clicking on the above link.

2024 was an amazing year for us, we are looking forward with optimism we will have more great discoveries to share.

If you have any stories you would like to share please feel welcome to send them to us at phillip@blackhawkproductions.com.

I often visit the burial site of Timpanogos Chief Black Hawk at Spring Lake in Utah. This was not the original burial site. If you look at the mountain behind me, from the top of my hat you see a v shape rockslide. That's very close to where is was buried. Spring Lake is where he was born c1838

It took an act of Congress, the help of National Forest Service archeologist Charmain Thompson, and the humanitarian efforts of a boy scout Shane Armstrong to find and rebury the remains of Chief Black Hawk at Spring Lake. In a private conversation with Shane, and his mother, Shane explained to Phillip, "I felt it in my heart I should find Black Hawk's remains," he said. Inspired at the age of 14, Shane, on his own, makes contact with Thompson. He explained the frustration of finding Chief Black Hawk's remains, "no one knew where they were," said Shane Armstrong. Gottfredson details in his book how after a month of searching they located the lost remains of the Chief in a basement storage room in a cardboard box on the campus of Brigham Young University. See Utah Chief Black Hawk's Grave Robbed For Amusement

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERBODY!

List of "American Indian" battles in the war of extermination of the Native Americans:

BATTLE OF ORISKANY (1777) * WYOMING VALLEY MASSACRE (1778) * CHERRY VALLEY MASSACRE (1778) * SULLIVAN EXPEDITION (1779) * BATTLE OF BLUE LICKS (1782) * NORTHWEST INDIAN WAR (1785–1795) * NICKAJACK EXPEDITION (1794) * SABINE EXPEDITION (1806) * WAR OF 1812 (WESTERN THEATRE), WHICH INCLUDED: * TECUMSEH'S WAR (1811-1813) * PEORIA WAR (1813) * CREEK WAR (1813–1814) * SEMINOLE WARS (1812, 1817–1818, 1835–1842, 1855–1858) * ARIKARA WAR (1823) * FEVER RIVER WAR (1827) * LE FÈVRE INDIAN WAR (1827) * BLACK HAWK WAR (1832) * PAWNEE INDIAN TERRITORY CAMPAIGN (1834) * CREEK WAR OF 1836, AKA SECOND CREEK WAR OR CREEK ALABAMA UPRISING (1835-1837) * MISSOURI-IOWA BORDER WAR (1836) * SOUTHWESTERN FRONTIER (SABINE) DISTURBANCES (NO FIGHTING) (1836–1837) * CHEROKEE UPRISING (1836-1838) * OSAGE INDIAN WAR (1837) * CAYUSE WAR (1848–1855) * NAVAJO WARS (1849–1861) O LONG WALK OF THE NAVAJO (1863–1868) * SOUTHWEST INDIAN WARS (1849-1863) * PITT RIVER EXPEDITION (1850) * MARIPOSA WAR (1850–1851) * YUMA EXPEDITION (1851–1852) * UTAH INDIAN WARS (1851-1853) * WALKER WAR (1853) * GRATTAN MASSACRE (1855) * YAKIMA WAR (1855) * SNAKE RIVER WAR (1855) * KLICKITAT WAR (1855) * PUGET SOUND WAR (1855–1856) * ROGUE RIVER WARS (1855–1856) * KLAMATH AND SALMON INDIAN WARS (1855) * TINTIC WAR (1856) * GILA EXPEDITION (1857) * MENDOCINO WAR (1858) * SPOKANE-COEUR D'ALENE-PALOOS WAR (1858) * PECOS EXPEDITION (1859) * ANTELOPE HILLS EXPEDITION (1859) * BEAR RIVER EXPEDITION (1859) * PAIUTE WAR (1860) * KIOWA-COMANCHE WAR (1860) * CHEYENNE CAMPAIGN (1861–1864) * DAKOTA WAR OF 1862 (1862) * BEAR RIVER MASSACRE (1863)* COLORADO WAR (1863–1865) *CIRCLEVILLE MASSACRE (1866) * KIDDER MASSACRE (1867) * SNAKE WAR (1864–1868) * UTAH'S BLACK HAWK WAR (1849–1872) * RED CLOUD'S WAR (1866–1868) * COMANCHE WARS (1867–1875) * BATTLE OF WASHITA RIVER (1868) * MARIAS MASSACRE (1870) * MODOC WAR (1872–1873) * RED RIVER WAR (1874) * APACHE WARS (1873, 1885–1886) * EASTERN NEVADA EXPEDITION (1875) * BLACK HILLS WAR (1876–1877) * NEZ PERCE WAR (1877) * BANNOCK WAR (1878) * CHEYENNE WAR (1878–1879) * SHEEPEATER INDIAN WAR (1879) * WHITE RIVER WAR (1879) * UTE WAR (1879-1880) * GHOST DANCE WAR (1890–1891) * WOUNDED KNEE MASSACRE (1890) * BATTLE OF LEECH LAKE (1898) * NEW MEXICO NAVAJO WAR (1913) * COLORADO PAIUTE WAR (1915) * AIM TAKEOVERS (1969 - 75) * SENECA INDIAN NATION STANDOFF AND NEW YORK STATE THRUWAY BLOCKADE (1997)

Utah Black Hawk War History 1847 - 1873

Stories From The Front

The Utah Black Hawk War - Research News & Updates

Phillip B Gottfredson

Imagine our country taken over by a foreign country.