Phillip B Gottfredson: A Biography of Relational History
Phillip B Gottfredson is an independent historian, author, and retired Certified Conservator of Fine Art. He has spent his career working to connect colonial records with Indigenous truth. Focusing on the Utah Black Hawk War and Native American perspectives, Gottfredson is known for his "lived experience" approach. This method puts accountability to Indigenous communities first, rather than keeping the usual academic distance.
The Foundation of a Multi-Generational Legacy
Phillip B Gottfredson has received recognition for his work in understanding and honoring Indigenous cultures. In 2008, the Utah Division of Indian Affairs gave him the Indigenous Day Award for his contributions. "My journey began in 1989 when I started research on the Black Hawk War in Utah and the Timpanogos Nation. It quickly became clear that the narratives largely presented a one-sided perspective. Many scholars and authors overlooked the worldviews of Native Americans whose wisdom is priceless."
The 2003 Turning Point & Global Comparative Study
Gottfredson spent decades traveling throughout North and South America, including extensive periods in the heart of Mayan country. His objective was a vast comparative study: by living among diverse Indigenous communities, he sought to analyze the universal effects of settler colonialism and compare those patterns to the specific experiences of the Timpanogos Nation in Utah.
A Sacred Vow: The Historian’s Mission
Gottfredson is the only non-Native historian in Utah known to have spent over twenty years living among Native American communities. His dedication was more than academic. It was his answer to a meaningful request from his Indigenous mentors. Gottfredson explains:
"I was so grateful to all Native Americans who trusted in me and gave generously of their time to help me. I asked what I could do to repay them for their kindness. They told me, 'Nothing. What we ask is that you teach your people what we have taught you. They will listen to you because you are white.' I made a sacred vow I would do as they asked of me, and I have kept my promise."
This promise shapes his work as a historian for the Timpanogos Nation and his main book, My Journey to Understand Black Hawk’s Mission of Peace (2019, Archway/Simon & Schuster). His writing is a companion to his great-grandfather’s 1919 book and brings the focus back to Black Hawk’s real goals of sovereignty and peace.
Native American Consultants and Mentors: Western Shoshone, Colorado Utes, Grandriver Ute, Uncompahgre Ute, Yampa Ute, Moache Ute, Wiminuche Ute, Ute Mountain Ute, Navajo Dine', Hopi, Zuni, Pueblo, Apache, Arapaho, Lakota, Silets, Makah, Southern Paiute, Northern Paiute, Yrok, Anishinaabe, Cherokee, Choctaw, Inca, founding members of A.I.M., and Mayan of San Pedro Guatemala Jörge Stienwender, a keeper of the sacred Mayan Calenders.
Professional Recognition & Philosophy
Gottfredson’s meticulous approach—informed by his professional background in fine art conservation—ensures that the "living fabric" of history is preserved with technical and ethical precision. His contributions were formally recognized in 2008 when he received the Indigenous Day Award from the Utah Division of Indian Affairs.
Today, Phillip B. Gottfredson continues to fulfill his promise, ensuring that the stories of the Timpanogos and other Indigenous nations are told with the dignity, accountability, and accuracy they deserve.
From Archives to Ancestral Lands
Phillip B Gottfredson is more than a chronicler of the past; he is a bridge between cultures. A retired Certified Conservator of Fine Art and a historian for the Timpanogos Nation, Phillip has spent over two decades living among Native American communities throughout North and South America. Visit The Timpanogos Nation
Unlike traditional historians who study from a distance, Phillip’s work is rooted in Relational History. By listening to elders and culture bearers, he has unearthed a narrative of the Black Hawk War that has been marginalized for over 150 years.
Consultants and Mentors to Gottfredson: Historian Will Bagley;
University of Utah Prof. Daniel McCool Ph.D.; University of Utah Prof. Dr. Floyd O'Neil Ph.D.; Historian Robert Carter; and Mary Murdock Meyer Chief Executive of the Timpanogos Nation.
See Source Material for more information.
Peter and Phillip Gottfredson
Phillip's Black Hawk's Mission of Peace is a companion book to his great-grandfather's book Indian Depredations in Utah written by Peter Gottfredson.
Phillip's 
great-grandfather Peter was a young man during the Black Hawk War. Being a friend of the Timpanogos, he was invited into the camp of Chief Black Hawk on numerous occasions during the war. His great-grandfather also took 20 years to write his first book that was published in 1919, the same year Black Hawk's Grave was robbed. A hundred years later, and almost to the date, Phillip published his companion book to Peter's in 2019. "Pure coincidence," said Mr. Gottfredson, "but it does cause one to pause," he added.
Phillip B Gottfredson advocates for Native American sovereignty, treaties, and aboriginal rights. Gottfredson holds the government, organizations, and institutions accountable for the irreversible cultural damage inflicted on the Timpanogos Nation by withholding the true history of the Black Hawk War in Utah. Phillip embaces the narrative of settler colonization that led to the loss of their land and resources, as well as their hunting and fishing rights and religious freedom—often without treaties or compensation.
Moreover, Phillip B Gottfredson is a proponent of truth in education and supports the removal of historical markers that denigrates Timpanogos people with racial slurs such as "savages," "infidels," and "heathens."
See The Utah Black Hawk War: Source Material
Gottfredson is a retired Conservator of Fine Art and FrameMaker. He began his trade in 1973 and retired in 1989. Mr. Gottfredson owned and operated the Southwest Conservation Center in Scottsdale, Arizona, where he preserved art and historical objects for major museums and private art collectors. Among his clients were the Frank Loyd Wright Foundation and the Phoenix Museum of Art. In this photo, Phillip is seen working on a noted painting by renowned Utah artist Arnold Friberg titled "Christ Appearing to the Nephites." 
Renowned for his handcrafted picture frames, Phillip made custom frames for royalty, celebrities, professional artists, art galleries, and museums across the United States and Canada—the photo courtesy of Patti Frampton-Eddington. The Royal Family commissioned artist Arnold Freiburg to paint Queen Elizabeth's portrait in 1987. Arnold Freiburg commissioned Phillip B. Gottfredson to craft the frame shown above and made two others for the Royal Family. The frame was handcrafted entirely by Phillip B. Gottfredson from mahogany and finished in 23 3/4kt gold.
In 1980, Governor Scott Matheson and his wife, Norma, hosted a special event at the Governor's Mansion in Salt Lake City to honor the artists of Utah. Phillip B. Gottfredson arrived in a chauffeur-driven limousine to pay tribute to Scott and Norma for their support of the arts in the state. During the event, he presented them with a beautiful oval frame handcrafted from cherry wood and adorned with rose decorations. Additionally, Phillip created a velvet-lined case with a glass front to display the frame he had made. It was on display for nearly a year at the Governor's mansion. Phillip and Norma remained friends for several years when he moved his business to Scottsdale Arizona.
In 1988, Pope John Paul II visited Arizona, and artist Jan Reibold was commissioned to paint the portrait of the Pope, while Phillip was commissioned to create the frame. Taking over a month, the frame was handcrafted entirely by Phillip B. Gottfredson in his studio in Scottsdale, Arizona.