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Show 171 Two acts which the government interpreted as dangerous insubordination occurred in 1886. Secretary of the Interior L. Q. C. Lamar reported in his message of November 1, 1886 that: The Ute Indians located on reservations in northeastern Utah have made very little progress in peaceful and industrial ways; they have not manifested a desire for the education of their children, nor have they, as a tribe, made any commendable efforts or endeavors to engage in civilized pursuits. As reports that they were, to some extent, growing more restive and insub-' ordinate were received from officers of this Department during the past spring, it was deemed prudent to call upon the War Department to place a military force sufficiently near them to meet any emergency that might arise. Troops were promptly stationed on the reservation, and reports show that their presence has had the effect to bring about a more pacific feeling among them.13 The problem of the Utes was difficult, but the government over-reacted. The Utes were vivid in the memory of the people of the United States because of the Meeker Affair. In the body of the message quoted above, Lamar states the government's position, and explains: These Indians are as a rule wild, intractable, and idle, and consequently have made but little progress in agriculture and education. For some time past their agents have had difficulty in controlling them, and a spirit of insubordination has been manifested. -^Report of the Secretary of the Interior, 1886. , pp. 16-17. |