Phillip B Gottfredson: A Biography of Relational History
Phillip B Gottfredson is a distinguished historian, author, and retired Certified Conservator of Fine Art whose life’s work has been dedicated to bridging the gap between colonial records and Indigenous truth. Specializing in the Utah Black Hawk War and Native American perspectives, Gottfredson is widely recognized for his "lived experience" methodology—an approach that centers accountability to Indigenous communities over traditional academic distance.
The Foundation of a Multi-Generational Legacy
Gottfredson’s connection to Utah history is deeply personal. He is the great-grandson of Peter Gottfredson, a contemporary and friend of the Timpanogos leader Antonga Black Hawk. Peter lived among the Timpanogos people during the war and published the seminal account Indian Depredations in Utah in 1919. In 2002, Phillip republished his great-grandfather’s work, setting the stage for his own mission: to provide the essential Indigenous context that had been missing from the historical record for over a century.
The 2003 Turning Point & Global Comparative Study
While his formal research began in 1989, a formative moment occurred in 2003 when Gottfredson traveled to Washington, D.C., for the opening of the National Museum of the American Indian. Witnessing the gathering of tens of thousands of Indigenous people from across the globe shifted his trajectory toward a philosophy of collective responsibility.
Following this event, 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 known non-Native historian in Utah to have spent more than twenty years immersed in Native American communities. This commitment was not merely academic; it was a response to a profound request from his Indigenous mentors. As Gottfredson reflects:
"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 vow informs his role as a historian for the Timpanogos Nation and his principal work, My Journey to Understand Black Hawk’s Mission of Peace (2019, Archway/Simon & Schuster). His writing serves as a companion to his great-grandfather’s 1919 text, re-centering the narrative on Black Hawk’s actual goals of sovereignty and peace.
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.
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.