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Show in unrest and anguish for these wretchedly poor, long- neglected, legal wards of the Government. 88 Tension mounted. Another allotting commission was assigned ( J. Jefferys, R Griffin, H. P. Myton). This commission reported that after several councils, the Uncompahgres requested that a delegation ( Chavenaux, McCook, Eggleston, and Charley Galonta) be allowed to go to Washington to negotiate: The Indians gave as a reason for desiring the delegation that the lines of their reservation have been established by a man who said he came from Washington [ Oakes] and now these lines were taken away; that they had signed many papers, but Washington says now they were not good. But if their chiefs and headmen could stand face- to- face with the secretary and hear the words spoken, and he said for them to do so, they would take allotment. 89 The situation came almost to a breaking point in November of 1897 when 25 game wardens and deputy wardens killed two Indians and wounded two others who were on the annual hunts in the White River area of Colorado. The Utes began dances on Diamond Mountain and retaliated with raids on sheep and intimidation of outlying ranchers. Troops were sent out from Fort Duchesne. The Utes returned to the reservation. Later an investigation was made into the incident. The wardens were cleared of blame. 90 Despite continued Ute protest, allotments were made in pursuance of the 1897 Act - 232 of them on lands purchased from the Uintah and White River Utes. 91 These allotments were not approved. Nevertheless, the reservation was thrown open to settlement. Eight- three of those allotments were approved by Congress in 1899.92 The rest of the Uncompahgre allotments were not approved until 1905.93 The Uncompahgre Reservation had been opened to settlement before the provisions of the 1880 Agreement had been fulfilled. The right of occupancy secured to the Uncompahgre by Executive Order, until the Government should carry out and complete the promises and stipulations contained in the 1880 agreement, was ignored. Mining interests also pressured for opening the Uintah Reservation. Illegal mining explorations had continued there for many years. In 1893 J. T. McConnell and William Perry had secured from the Utes a lease for 5,000 acres of asphalt bearing lands around the Uintah River. 94The lease which had been turned over to the American Asphalt Company was later cancelled when the leasees failed to meet certain terms. 95Others had applied for permits to negotiate mining leases from the Utah. However, action on the applications had been tabled " in deference to persistent efforts to induce the Indians to take individual allotments and cede a considerable portion of their land for public entry." % 21 |
