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Show The White River Ute People 97 alarmed and protested, and the army was notified. The Indians resourcefully went on a buffalo hunt. The goods were never delivered and were finally abandoned in July 1878 because of excessive storage costs.10 However, the White River People were being forced more and more to depend on the terms promised under the 1868 Treaty, particularly since the Ute People were not issued guns and ammunition with which to hunt. It was feared they would join the Sioux who were engaged in fighting the intruders on the northern Plains. Thus, the People were forced to use agency cattle rather than traditional game. Meeker Incident In the midst of this volatile situation, Agent Danforth was replaced by Nathan Meeker. Meeker became interested in Colorado when he and the newspaper editor Horace Greeley decided to organize a colonization project. They established the town of Greeley, Colorado, in 1870. The project was successful; however, Meeker made little gain financially. He entered politics to relieve some of his financial burden. After a number of defeats, he persuaded some of his influential friends to secure for him the job of agent at White River. He was appointed in the spring of 1878. Douglas and Johnson, ca 1880 This is a "staged" photograph of White River leaders responsible for the Meeker incident. Douglas (Quinket) has tucked into his coat what is probably a copy of the 1880 Agreement. Johnson is wearing an empty bullet belt. (Photograph from State Historical Society of Colorado) |
