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Show Years of Loss, Years of Adjustment, 1882-1933 123 group of Ute People were camped on the Snake River near Cross Mountain. Wilcox deputized about ten cowboys. They proceeded to the camp where they found four old men and several women. The young men were out hunting. The posse decided to arrest the men, who did not understand and refused to cooperate. The women protested. In the resulting' confusion, members of the posse began shooting and killed two men and two women. Fearing reprisals, the posse ran away. Some of them reported a Ute uprising. Another posse was organized. Captain Wright of Fort Duchesne started out with his troops to the scene of the trouble. Rumors abounded that the People would seek revenge, but this did not happen. The People returned to the reservation. Later an investigation was made into the incident. Despite Ute protest, Wilcox and his deputies were cleared of the killings. And the Colorado game laws which were in violation of Ute treaties and agreements were let stand.23 Opening of the Uintah Reservation, 1905 In 1898 an act was passed in Congress which authorized a commission to allot lands on the Uintah Reservation "by the consent of a majority of the adult male Indians." The agent reported: If the consent of the Indians is necessary to be obtained in order to open the Uintah Reservation, it will be useless for Congress to pass any more laws or spend any more money for that purpose, for I do not believe there is an Indian on the reservation who is willing or favors selling any part of their land.24 The agent's evaluation was correct. The People were strongly oppossed to making cession to the government of any of their lands. Agent William Beck actually requested that Marisco, Catoomp, and other "incendiary" White River People be removed from the reservation and sent to prison in Florida, to prevent their continuing interference with the allotment effort.25 A group of White Rivers led by Sowawick even attempted to return to Colorado. They declared that because Washington had never paid for it, the land was still theirs.26 In 1902-03 Congress enacted a series of laws to break up the Uintah Reservation and allot lands to the People. The allotments |
