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Show The White River Ute People Meeker thought the Ute People were stupid, filthy, and lazy. He wanted to put a stop to their gambling, horse racing, and begging. He decided that the only way that the People were going to survive in the "white man's world" was to become farmers and ranchers. He did not seem to realize that he could not change the traditions of centuries in a short time, especially by force. Meeker did not have the right temperament to work with the Ute People. He treated them like bad children and punished them when they would not do as he ordered. This, of course, was the wrong way to approach adults who were used to living freely off the land and determining their own lifeways. Meeker "gave his whole soul to the work of civilizing the Utes," without first securing their friendship.11 Their friendship was difficult to secure. The White River People were divided into several groups. Two main factions were led by Quinket and Nicaagat. Often, after Meeker had talked Quinket and his group into cooperating with him to dig ditches or plow fields, Nicaagat and his group would try and halt the work. And after arriving at the agency in May of 1878, Meeker decided it was not located on the best land available. He moved it fifteen miles down the river into Powell's Valley. The area was 3,500 acres of excellent land. This did not help him get the Ute People to farm, however. The valley had been used by the People for pasturing their horses. They objected to Meeker's plans for it. The agency employees worked hard in the spring of 1879. One hundred thousand feet of lumber was cut, a coal mine was opened, and land was cleared and plowed. However, most of the People left on the summer hunting trip. Many reports were circulated around the countryside that the People were setting fires and molesting the settlers and miners. Meeker complained that: These Ute Indians are not to be trusted . . . for the greater part of them are almost constantly off the reservation trading, running and stealing horses, and intimately associated with the ruffians, renegades, cattle-thieves of the frontier. . . ,12 Meeker requested military aid to keep the People on the reservation, but it was not sent. The disagreements with the Ute People soon turned to open strife. It began with a request from a Poowagudt (shaman) called |