End Settler Colonialism in Utah!

 

The writer is Indigenous Day Award recipient Phillip B Gottfredson, the author of My Journey to Understand Black Hawk's Mission of Peace.

A group called "The Other 49ers" put it nicely, "The Mormons brought with them a moral code, a new technology, and an economic system. Mormon's inability or refusal to accept Indian culture on its own terms is a conflict repeated countless times throughout the west. Coexistence, with each culture intact, was impossible; compromise seemed unattainable, for the cherished ideals of one culture were the unpardonable sins of the other. Mormons brought the ways of civilization with them, in their minds. Contrary to their desire for an enlightened sacred way of life, the world followed, and they gave into the kind of discrimination that they ran from."

It should be deeply troubling to everyone that discrimination is institutionalized; it is become the norm to trivialize, mock, and downplay the history of Native American people in Utah and across America. To be clear, the true history of Utah's Indigenous peoples has been left out of school curriculum which sends a clear message to our children that genocide is justified when under the guise of religion—an utterly outrageous notion! Despite claims to the contrary, prejudice and discrimination persist in our society. Settler Colonialism introduced Racism long ago and has now become deeply entwined within the fabric of our Nation and communities; much like a noxious weed, it has crept into the institutionalized structures of power, rendering it natural within our social landscape.. See Utah Schools Ignore True Indian History

Timpanogos Perspective

"We want our children to have a good life. We don’t want them to live in fear, hating each other. We want them to respect our ancient ways, and pass on our sacred teachings to their children. We want them to be proud of our ancestors, Wakara, Black Hawk, Arapeen, Tabby, and understand that they died for us. They lived for us. We are still here because of their love," said Perry Murdock Council memeber of the Timpanogos Nation.

As I continued to learn from the Timpanogos what it means to be Indigenous to Utah, I often heard them speak of the discrimination they face daily. Initially, my response was to say that they have the same opportunities for a decent life as anyone living in America. Unfortunately, saying that drew some angry responses. And the more time I spent with them, listening and observing, the more I realized how ignorant I was about their lives. I was Ignorant because of the biased onesided history I was taught in school.

Life On The Uintah Valley Reservation

The 10th District Court ruled 2015 that the Uintah Reservation is a Sovereign Nation and that the State of Utah has no legal jurisdiction. "They don't listen." Tribal members of the Timpanogos told me, "they continue to arrest our people. They take children, property, whatever they want." Add that the Timpanogos have fought for federal recognition for over 20 years. They have met every requirement required of them by the Dept. of The Interior, still they have not been put on the list. why? Follow the money.

From my own experience, I have found these atrocities to be factual. And the shocking reality is that we never hear about this off the reservation. I lived with the Indigenous people on the Uintah Valley reservation for many years. I became fully aware of the corruption on the reservation. I'm referring to the State of Utah, the Division of Indian Affairs, the BIA, and the Ute Indian Tribe of The Uintah Ouray Reservation does nothing; why? Follow the money. Over 35 million barrels of oil come off the reservation each month. Do people know this? Not many, but all you need to do is ask the Department of Energy. And who gets the money? The oil companies, the Utes, and the State of Utah. One thing is for sure the Timpanogos Nation, who are indigenous to Utah, get zero, nothing, not a damn red cent. Fact is the Ute Tribe turned off the water to Mary Meyer's home because she is the Chief Executive of the Timpanogos Nation. And over the past year two attempts have been made on Mary's life. Was this in the news? No, Oh and in case you didn't know, the Timpanogos are not Ute. And the Uintah Ouray Reservation does not exhist. See The Timpanogos are Snake Shoshone Not Ute

 

Educate yourself:

It is our government that needs to stop holding the indigenous people hostage and making them tenants on their own land.

It is we who need to stop blaming them for the actions of our ancestors.

It is we who need to respect their sovereignty.

It was our ancestors who invaded their country and wrecked their lives.

It was our government and our ancestors who made treaties with Indian Nations and broke every one of them.

It was our ancestors who stole their children, and placed them in boarding house schools with graveyards, then punished them for speaking their own language, physically abused them, and forbid them from practicing their religious beliefs. Carlisle’s founder, Capt. Richard C. Pratt, championed a disastrous approach to educating Native Native Americans that aimed to “kill the Indian, and save the man.”       

It was President Lincoln who set aside 5.6 million acres of land for the Timpanogos, known as the Uintah Valley Reservation, and it was the State of Utah who took back 4.3 million acres of that land, the best of that land, and put it in public domain, and did it without any authorization from congress or compensation, they stole it. See Misidentity of Timpanogos & Ute Tribes

It is we, not Native Americans, who have dug up the graves of their ancestors, and sold the contents for profit, and put their bones on public display as a mere public curiosity. See The Robbery of Black Hawk's Grave

And it is we who have looked the other way and said nothing and remained silent saying, "it's not my problem."

And in the end it is we who are ignorant and say "we have given the Indian people every opportunity to succeed, yet they choose to live in poverty, and live off the government..." and indifferently state: "it's their own damn fault...?"

Both Indian and non-Indian who do not recognize the names Black Hawk, Walkara, Arapeen, Kanosh, Sanpitch, Tabby, and events such as the Black Hawk War, Fort Utah battle, Circleville Massacre, or the Bear River Massacre, and what they represent; have no sense of true history or the reality of settler colonialism in Utah.

"How Can I Help?"

I am often asked, "What can we do to help Native Americans and bring about healing?" The answer is simple:

1. Teach true and honest Native American history in our schools. Break the cycle of misinformation and disinformation.

2. Demand that our government honor the treaties made with First Nations. Over 365 treaties were signed with Native Americans and not one has ever been honored.

3. Help build that bridge between our cultures and tear down the wall of lies that separate us. Be the change you want to see in the world. I truly believe that we all can do better than we are now.

4. Contact us. Invite Phillip B Gottfredson to speak to your group or organization. Join us on Facebook and Substack

See The Timpanogos are Snake Shoshone, not Ute!