~ Research Menu ~ Access to our extensive collection of topics and stories about the Utah Black Hawk War is easy. Topics are organized chronologically by date and category. Clicking the NEXT link at the bottom of each results page takes you to the next event in succession.
Settler Colonialism
The Doctrine of Discovery 1493 The following explains the Doctrine of Discovery gave Christians and governments a nefarious legal and moral justification to invade and occupy Native American land.
VIDEO: CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE OF DISCOVERY: by Steve Newcomb Published on Feb. 2, 2016, Steven Newcomb, Author of Pagans in the Promised Land: Decoding the Doctrine of Christian Discovery" addresses the Spotlight of Indigenous Peoples plenary at the 2015 Parliament of the World's Religions in Salt Lake City, Utah on Oct. 19.
1831 Letters of Ezra Booth: Mormonism Though their plans had hitherto failed, they were unwilling to abandon the Indian enterprize; and in a commandment it was stated, that Cowdery and others should receive a written recommendation, signed by the Elders, for the purpose of presenting it to the Indian agent, in order to obtain permission from him, to visit the Indians in their settlements.
Manifest Destiny The 1832 Supreme Court declared the Indian Removal Act unconstitutional, but the damage already caused to First Nations was irreversible. In time, the Doctrine of Discovery would become Manifest Destiny to empower Settler-Colonialism. "With a bible in one hand, and a gun in the other they came to save the heathans from hell... and get rich."
the Black Hawk War Timeline & Biographies
Utah Black Hawk War Timeline : Detailed timeline of "Utah Indian Wars," and Congressional Acts from 1847 to 1978.
Timpanogos Nation Biography: The Black Hawk War , is a detailed synopsis of historical events in Utah from 1776 and the Dominguez and Escalante expedition, the arrival of Mormon colonists in 1847, and the forced removal of the Timpanogos Nation to the Uinta Valley Reservation in 1873.
- The Timpanogos Nation is not Ute The Timpanogos Nation and the Ute Nation are distinctly different tribes with different origins, bloodlines, and customs. The Timpanogos Nation is Snake-shoshone and was never part of the Ute Tribe of the Uintah & Ouray Reservation.
The Utah Black Hawk War
1849-50 Battle Creek Canyon & Fort Utah Massacres, and the LDS "Extermination Order" of the Timpanogos Nation. Pleasant Grove and Provo.
- 1849 The Murder of Old Bishop Richard A. Ivie, Y. Rufus Stoddard and Gerome Zabriskie, who met an Indian called Old Bishop
- 1850 Timpanogos Chief Old Elk Moonch During the battle at Fort Utah in 1850, one more loathsome act remained to unfold which would haunt the Mormons for many decades to follow, even to the present day.
1851 Death of Squash Head Springville
1851 Richville Raided Richfield
1853 Gunnison Massacre near Hinkley, Millard County
1853 Seven Timpanogos Deaths By Execution Nephi
1853 The Walker War Living descendants of Timpanogos Chief Wakara talk about their ancestor in a discussion with Phillip B Gottfredson. They explain "Wakara is misrepresented in Mormon history."
1854 Brigham Young His "Proper Way To Treat The Indians"
1855 Chief Wakara dies from poisoning
1856 Salt Creek Battle During the Utah Black Hawk War, on June 4th 1856. Jens Terklesen and wife Christian E. Kjerluf were massacred by Indians in Salt Creek Canyon while traveling unarmed on their way to Sanpete Valley.
1856 The Tintic War Cedar Valley
1857 Mountain Meadows Massacre near St. George
1863 Bear River Massacre Cache Valley
1863 Chief Little Soldier attacks a platoon of soldiers at Pleasant Grove
1865 INDIANS GO ON THE WAR PATH On the 9th of April, a treaty with the Indians was arranged for at Manti, in Sanpete County. Some horses and cattle had been stolen by the Indians.
1865 Grass Valley Massacre The soldiers then surrounded the camp and opened fire on them, killing women, men, and children.
1865 The Spanish Fork Treaty (Black Hawk War Treaty)
1866 June 10 Battle At Gravely Ford, Utah Timpanogos Chief Black Hawk Mortally Wounded near Richfield.
1866 June 18 Chief Sanpitch father of Black Hawk murdered at Birch Creek near Sanpete, Utah
1866 Jun 26 Spanish Fork Diamond Creek Battle Because there are conflicting historical accounts regarding the Diamond Creek Battle, historian Phillip B Gottfredson spent considerable time researching on site where the battle took place to bring clarity to this important event.
1866 Aug The Old Peace Treaty Tree Ephraim
1866 Chief Sowiette Sowiette was the eldest of the brothers. When the Mormons came to Utah in 1847, Sowiette admonished his brothers not to fight them.
1867 Black Hawk meets with Indian agent Franklin Taking upon himself the agony of his people, Black Hawk handed Franklin his knife and would ask him to cut off his hair to symbolically demonstrate his sincerity in wanting peace.
1867 Black Hawk Meets With Chief Tabby August 17th, Black Hawk met with his uncle Chief Tabby, who had made preparations to join his warriors with Black Hawk's men.
1868 INDIAN GRATITUDE On their return they came across the sick Indian sitting up against a tree smoking a pipe. The men still wanted to kill him, but father wouldn't let them.
!870 The Burial of Timpanogos Chief Black Hawk had come full circle when, on September 26, 1870, at the age of 35, the Chief's loving kin honorably laid him to rest on a hillside overlooking Spring Lake above Payson, Utah, the place of his birth.
Post War Period
THE UTAH BLACK HAWK WAR FACTS Interesting facts about the Black Hawk War of Utah and the Timpanogos Indians from 1847 to 1873 from Phillip B Gottfredson's research journal.
1873 MEMORIAL OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF UTAH "Memorial of the Legislative Assembly of Utah" was prepared by the Legislature of Utah in 1873 and sent to the United States Congress. It is a bill asking Congress for reimbursement of over one-million dollars in expenses incurred by Brigham Young's private militia and the Nauvoo Legion, to exterminate the Indigenous population in Utah.
1919 Black Hawk's Gravesite Robbed his remains put on public display for amusement.
1996 Repatriation Of Chief Black Hawk's Remains The human remains and associated objects were accessions by the Museum of Latter-Day Saints Church History in 1919. At that time, a local physician attempted to confirm a report that the human remains were those of the Timpanogots' Chief Black Hawk.
PHILLIP B GOTTFREDSON Research & Commentary
Source Material and Biography Phillip B Gottfredson, a well-known author of Black Hawk's Mission of Peace, specializes in the Black Hawk War of Utah between the Timpanogos Nation and the early Mormon colonialization of Utah.
Native American Protocols and Ethics When I was invited to live with a Shoshone family one of the first things I was taught was Native American protocols.
National Museum of the American Indian where Phillip B Gottfredson began his journey to Understand Black Hawk's Mission of Peace.
Heart of Mayan Country My journey to San Pedro in 2012 to research the historical, and spiritual connection between North and South American Indigenous peoples.
Truth In Education True First Nation history needs to be included in Utah's school curriculum, but its not...why?
RUSSEL MEANS "For America to Live, Europe Must Die"
Gold, God, and Glory Native people in Utah suffer from generational trauma because of Mormon settlers colonization.
In Remembrance: Black Hawk War Chiefs & Veterans
List of "American Indian" battles in the war of exterminating Native Americans
Congressional Acts Governing First Nations There was a series of congressional acts designed to diminish tribal lands, or reservations, the Dawes Allotment Act 1887, the Reorganization Act 1934, the Termination Act 1953, Then came the boarding schools and the LDS Church Indian placement program 1954. The Self Determination Act 1970, and the American Indian Religious Freedom Act 1978.
The Silent Victims of the Utah Black Hawk War Recently, decedents whose ancestors led in some of the massacres in the Utah Black Hawk War have contacted me, and I feel it necessary to share their perspectives of the Black Hawk War.
James Leonard Pritchett, a great-grandson of Chief Tabby of the Timpanogos Nation of Utah. Timpanogos Chief Tabby's name was not Tabby-To-Kwanah, or Tabiuna, and he was not Chief of the Uintah and Whiteriver Utes. All you need to do is ask Tabby's descendant- James Pritchett.
We Can Forgive But Never Forget We assume that the Native peoples have since been given every opportunity to succeed, that "it's their own damn fault," as some say. Tell a lie often enough and it becomes the truth.
LDS Admit to Mountain Meadows Massacre In an article that appeared in the church's Ensign magazine, church historian Richard E. Turley gives what is said to be the church's official account of the Massacre.
Nathan Chasing Horse is a person I won't forget I can't recall there being a moment in my life when I was so spritually overwhelmed.
I spent a day talking to a Dine' medicine man Well, we carried on a conversation non stop for six hours at a truck stop in the middle of nowhere.
BOOKS, VIDEOS & PODCASTS
The following video & Podcast collection has been assembled to help further our understanding of the Native American perspective and the Black Hawk War in Utah.
The Black Hawk War: Utah's Forgotten Tragedy Researched and produced by Phillip B Gottfredson (video)
Bear River Massacre Memorial 155th Anniversary January 29, 2018 (video)
Decoding the Doctrine of Christian Discovery by Steven Newcomb (video)
PODCAST Mary Murdock Meyer Chief Executive of the Timpanogos Nation, and Phillip B Gottfredson live podacst with host Jay Winter Nightwolf in a candid conversation about the Timpanogos Nation and the Black Hawk War of Utah.
P. B. Gottfredson - BookStore lists of more than 50 books & Videos(nonfiction) for historians, educators, students, and enthusiasts.
PETER GOTTFREDSON Much of the material found on this website comes from Peter Gottfredson who lived with the Timpanogos during the Black Hawk War, and a friend of Timpanogos Chief Black Hawk. Peter is a great-grandfather of Phillip B Gottfredson.
Peter Gottfredson's Indian Depredations In Utah
AUGUST, 1871 PIOCHE BURNS In August, 1871 the town Pioche burned. It was caused by a lantern falling on a porch of a boarding house kept by two women. The wind was blowing and it got too much of a start before it was noticed. Nearly the whole town burned and there was no hay left in town.
1872 DANIEL MILLER KILLED On the 26th of September 1872 Indians came in the night and lay in ambush for us when we should start out to work in the morning. East of the house about thirty yards lay a pile of poles.
Peter & his brother Hans In The Indian Camps
EXCERPTS from Peter Gottfredson his book Indian Depredations in Utah, which is one of the oldest firsthand accounts of the Black Hawk War in Utah. He describes the wars between Mormon settlers and the Indians of Utah that occured between the years 1847 to 1872.
Eulogy to Peter Gottfredson 1934
SALT LAKE TRIBUNE ARTICLE by historian Will Bagley
Miscellaneous Only In The Land Of The Lamanites The Mormons believe that people of dark skin is a curse. However, by joining the church their skin will turn white.
List of "American Indian" battles in the war of extermination of the Native Americans
News Articles Archive past news articles from our News Page.
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