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Show Government 49 erative group emerged, led but not completely controlled by the younger men of the tribe who were eager for war and glory. The family units still settled individual affairs, such as most crimes, and could control the whole band. During the 1700's the expanding Ute tribe fought many successful wars against their enemies, including the Navajo and Crow. This century marked the zenith of Ute strength and glory. The leadership of the bands fluctuated between the older men of the council and the young men who exercised leadership during times of war. The man who had a fairly large following assumed the title of chief, but kept it only as long as he proved himself capable of leading those who chose to follow him, and as long as he fulfilled their needs. When the people stopped following him, he could no longer claim to be a leader. As the chiefs assumed the leadership of the bands, there was continual opposition to any measure brought up. Unanimity was almost impossible on any issue. This factionalism within the tribe was intensified after 1848. One reason for this was that the U.S. Government had appointed Ouray as chief of the Utes and some of the people did not like this. Ouray was a great leader in spite of the early opposition to him and he did much to keep the Southern Utes from useless fights with the encroaching whites. Ouray, perhaps one of the greatest chiefs of the Uncompahgre band of Utes, was born in Taos, New Mexico, in 1833. His mother was a member of the Uncompahgre band and his father, Guera Murah, was half Jicarilla Apache. While a youngster near the Taos pueblo, he learned to speak both Spanish and English, but preferred Spanish as it was dominant in that area. Only later did he learn Ute and Apache. At the age of eighteen he gave up his work as a sheep herder and came into western Colorado to become a full-fledged member of the Tabeguache band of Utes in which his father, in spite of his Apache blood, had become a leader. From then until 1860 he lived like all Utes, hunting, fighting the Plains Indians, and visiting with other Ute bands. While still a young man Ouray married a Tabeguache maiden, Black Mare, and a son Queashegut, was born to them. When the boy was five years old, he was kidnapped by the Arapaho near Fort Lup-ton. Ouray had gone on a buffalo hunt north of Denver when the |