My Journey to Understand - Black Hawk's Mission of Peace

 

"Mr. Gottfredson has done an amazing job of telling this story with passion and honesty. As you follow him through his journey of discovery, you will be captivated by his experiences."

His account brings a much-needed perspective to a war that has historically been examined from the one-sided perspective of the Mormons. In collaboration with tribal leaders, he shares the Timpanogos version of the story, writing from the vantage point of the native peoples of Utah – a reference point that has been
deliberately ignored.

Some seventy thousand Timpanogos Indians – the aboriginal people of Utah – died from violence, starvation, and disease after Mormon colonists stole their land and destroyed their culture over a twenty-one-year timeframe, but few people know anything about them, who they are, or what they believed in.

Timpanogos leader Black Hawk witnessed the worst kind of man’s inhumanity to man, and himself dying from a gunshot wound traveled a hundred and eighty miles on horseback to make peace with the white man, and apologizes for the pain and suffering he caused them, asking them to do the same and end the bloodshed. Phillip B Gottfredson, who has spent decades living among First Nations people seeking to understand Native American culture, provides a detailed synopsis of the Black Hawk War of Utah that decimated the Timpanogos Nation between 1849 and 1873.

Join the author as he shares his extraordinary spiritual journey.

*Published by Archway Publishing from Simon & Schuster

 

Hello, my name is Phillip B Gottfredson.

I am a retired Conservator of Fine Art. For over thirty years, I owned and operated a laboratory preserving art and historical objects for museums and private art collectors such as the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and Arnold Friberg. I retired in 1989 when I became interested in the Black Hawk Indian War in Utah. What began as a curiosity turned into a full-time occupation.

It began when I learned that my great-grandfather Peter Gottfredson lived among the Indians with whom the Mormons were in conflict from when they arrived in 1847. Known as the Timpanogos Nation, whose Chief was Black Hawk, I was delighted to learn my great-grandfather was a friend of the Chief during the war in the 1860s. Wanting to know what his experience was like set me on a twenty-year journey that was the best years of my life.

As a Conservator of Fine Art, that’s what you do. You investigate everything to the extreme. And what I learned from living with different Tribes, visiting reservations, asking questions, listening to the old-timer’s stories, learning their history, and participating in sacred ceremonies, was life-changing. And like my great-grandfather, I found the Timpanogos, who are like family to me. I loved every moment of being with them. Now I know why Peter loved them so much.

At the age of 74, I was compelled to write My Journey to Understand Black Hawk’s Mission of Peace. Because what I describe actually happened. The Timpanogos are real people who want their stories to be told. The truth must be told so that we can come to terms with the tragic results of settler colonialism and stop believing in the lies.

I care a lot about the Timpanogos and what they have to say. And that’s the heart of my book Understanding Black Hawk’s Mission of Peace.

Phillip B Gottfredson is a recipient of the Indigenous-Day Award.

Non-fiction Buy now direct from our publisher: *ARCHWAY PUBLISHING from SIMON & SCHUSTER* AMAZON Utah Residents: The King's English - Salt Lake City, Utah RUNA ARTS - University Place Orem, Ut, Provo Town Center & South Town Mall, Sandy, Utah Barnes & Noble (all locations) Abe Books California COPPERFIELD'S BOOKS and.. England BLACKWELL'S ...and your favorite local bookstore. Copyright: 2019 Hardcover | 6 x 9 in | 320 pages | ISBN 9781480884519 $37.95 Softcover | 6 x 9 in | 320 pages | ISBN 9781480884526 $20.95 E-Book | 320 pages | ISBN 9781480884533 $9.99

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Praise & Reviews:

"The second half of your book, was a complete surprise. Such a breath of fresh air. Your vulnerable documentation of your spiritual journey is invaluable and insightful. I long for experiences like the ones you described." -Marcus, Utah

"In psychological terms, they say you cannot get mentally healthy until you admit the problem, and are willing to look at all your behavior honestly. This book is an honest look at how native peoples have been and still are treated by an encroaching group who believe they have a higher right to do whatever they want to do, regardless of the consequences in human pain and suffering. We have a hard time imagining that our human history is a checkered one. Mr. Gottfredson has done an amazing job of telling this story with passion and honesty. As you follow him through his journey of discovery, you will be captivated by his experiences. And if you are willing to be honest in your feelings and a real student of human history, you will be rewarded with a greater and more profound understanding of the path we would all do well to emulate on our way to psychological wholeness. (and also a real spiritual awakening) As many have said, this book should be a part of every American high school student's study of American history, for if we could be willing to acknowledge our whole history and see the truth, the truth will set us free. Bravo, Sir !" -Barely Ablemann, Washington DC

"I am so grateful for this book. I have lived in Utah all my life and had very little understanding of the history of the native people. Finding this book helped me to see just how incredible the Timpanogos Tribe is, and how the effects of my ancestors settlement are still being felt so deeply by this tribe today. So grateful for this book and the ways it synthesizes all the information into an easily understood format. As well as the ways that it tells it from the Tribe’s perspective. It’s incredible how the information hits you so much deeper that way. Read this book!" -M. Owens, Utah

"Everyone--but especially every resident of Utah, past or present--should read this book. Mr. Gottfredson's recursive style embeds the stories and the pain of Utah's unacknowledged genocide in a personal journey of enlightenment and growth that is ultimately optimistic and hopeful. He foregrounds Native perspectives with a quiet insistence that establishes layers upon layers of truth. I am not exaggerating when I say that this book has changed my life. I can't recommend it enough". -Stephanie T Lundeen

"This book was truly inspired! It was powerful, filled with emotions, truths and love. Thank you Phillip Gottfredson -Cynthia Johnson, Utah"

"This book completely changed my life." -Johnathan Canlas, Utah

"As the artist that created the art for the cover of Phillip B Gottfredson's book Black Hawk's Mission of Peace, I will tell you a few things about my background. My home and studio are located in Pleasant Grove, Utah. Where the noted Battle Creek Massacre was fought." 

"I have been inspired to create several Native American themes, landscape, portrait, still life, and sculpture throughout my 80-year career. But, the history of the great Timpanogos Nation that Phillip shared with me took on a life and spirit of its own. As Phillip spoke of the extraordinary life of Black Hawk, I felt a deep and spiritual calling for me to get involved. This great warrior's story overwhelmed me with compassion and understanding as one being lifted up (transformed) for a once-in-a-lifetime assignment." 

"Black Hawk's peace mission has just begun. I felt such a powerful experience to get involved in this; it completely changed my life. Black Hawk's intense energy stayed with Phillip and me until the book was completed. You may ask, "is his spirit still with us? Answer: More than ever." -Carol Lahoma Pettit Harding, Utah

 

You might also be interested in my great-grandfathers book:

Black Hawk's Mission of Peace is a companion book to my great-grandfather's book Indian Depredations in Utah, a firsthand account of the war. Peter Gottfredson, a historian, author, and a friend of Black Hawk spent much of his youth living in the camps of the Timpanogos during the Utah Black Hawk War. ~Phillip B Gottfredson