History of the Northern Ute People, A

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The Intruders, 1550-1882 4 5 and the People. Starving Utes broke into many homes begging and demanding food. The settlers and miners pressured the government for another treaty. The People were themselves dissatisfied with the 1863 Treaty. Many were angered that the Taviwach had sold lands they did not occupy. Even the Taviwach were unhappy with the government's failure to supply them with goods and supplies as had been promised. Taviwach and Moache leaders presented Colorado Governor Alexander Hurt with a petition asking for settlement of the provisions of that treaty.30 Instead, another treaty was negotiated in 1868. Federal officials treated with the leaders of seven Ute bands. They agreed to a reservation which included one third of the territory of Colorado, about fifteen million acres. However, as with previous treaties, that of 1868 was better kept by the Ute People than by the settlers and miners who continued to trespass on Ute lands. The People put up a strong resistance to these intruders, but this was in vain.31 In 1873 the Brunot Agreement was negotiated. It specified that the Ute People would relinquish their rights to certain mineral rich lands in the San Juan Mountains. But, even this agreement did not signal the end of conflict. The People did not understand the strange boundaries of this agreement. They continued to live as they had always done â€" hunting in the mountain parks of the Rockies, refusing to farm or herd. And the intruders continued to occupy Ute lands. In the summer of 1879 the Meeker incident occurred at the White River Agency in the northern portion of the reservation. Ute People killed the racist and foolish agent Nathan Meeker and several young men. Military authorities moved swiftly to prevent a general Ute war. The White River leaders surrendered. The Meeker incident provoked immediate protest throughout Colorado. The White River People were removed to the Uintah Reservation in Utah Territory. The Uncompahgre People, who had been promised land near Grand Junction, Colorado, were also removed to Utah. Arrangements were made to locate the Moache, Kapota, and Weeminuche along the La Plata River in New Mexico Territory. But finally they were left to occupy a narrow reservation in the southwest corner of Colorado.