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Show The First Intruders: Explorers, Traders, and Slavers 33 probably spread to neighboring Indian groups, including Nuwuvi and Walapai. This may well have caused later anger between Indians and whites in that region.45 Though Pattie's narrative is confusing or confused, he traveled further up the Colorado and perhaps encountered the Chemehuevi and the Shiwits. Pattie and his men even may have battled with the Shivwits Nuwuvi, whose land ranged from the southeast side of the Virgin down to the Colorado River. According to Pattie's journal, he came to a village of "Shuena" Indians. These were probably Shivwits Nuwuvi. A battle resulted in which the guns of the trappers proved more effective than the Indians' attempts to defend themselves with bows. The Indians retreated, and Pattie's men marched through their camp which was now only inhabited by those they had killed.46 If these people were the Shivwits, this incident is the first record of Nuwuvi-European hostilities. Although Spanish and American fur trading operations during this period were mainly centered in Ute territory, some trappers did go into Nuwuvi territory in 1829. Only a few of these men left even fragmentary accounts of their activities. None of them mentioned the Indians living in the area.47 Apparently they had little trouble with the Nuwuvi who were willing to be peaceful towards the strangers who were invading their lands as long as they were left alone. It is clear that the friendly Nuwuvi avoided hostility whenever possible. Consequently, the men were allowed to trap freely, even though the Nuwuvi too used beaver pelts. Like rabbit skins, beaver pelts were occasionally made into blankets that also served as capes. By 1830 the Nuwuvi had still not encountered enough of the new intruders to create a definite impression of what they were like. They had had a few negative experiences, but overall their encounters with the strangers had been friendly enough not to arouse alarm. Moreover, these encounters had been few and far between, only a handful in fifty years. In 1830, however, the Spanish Trail was definitely opened for the first time. From that date travel across Nuwuvi lands became a regular practice, bringing with it significant changes in the lives of the Nuwuvi. |
