The Utah Black Hawk War - Research News & Updates

 

1/6/2025

The Posts for 2024 Have Been Archived

All of the news articles for 2024 have been archived, except for a few I felt were still relevant. You can visit the archive by clicking on the above link.

2024 was an amazing year for us, we are looking forward with optimism we will have more great discoveries to share.

If you have any stories you would like to share please feel welcome to send them to us at phillip@blackhawkproductions.com.

1/6/2025

I often visit the burial site of Timpanogos Chief Black Hawk at Spring Lake in Utah. This was not the original burial site. If you look at the mountain behind me, from the top of my hat you see a v shape rockslide. That's very close to where is was buried. Spring Lake is where he was born c1838

It took an act of Congress, the help of National Forest Service archeologist Charmain Thompson, and the humanitarian efforts of a boy scout Shane Armstrong to find and rebury the remains of Chief Black Hawk at Spring Lake. In a private conversation with Shane, and his mother, Shane explained to Phillip, "I felt it in my heart I should find Black Hawk's remains," he said. Inspired at the age of 14, Shane, on his own, makes contact with Thompson. He explained the frustration of finding Chief Black Hawk's remains, "no one knew where they were," said Shane Armstrong. Gottfredson details in his book how after a month of searching they located the lost remains of the Chief in a basement storage room in a cardboard box on the campus of Brigham Young University. See Utah Chief Black Hawk's Grave Robbed For Amusement

 

01/04/2025

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERBODY!

List of "American Indian" battles in the war of extermination of the Native Americans:

BATTLE OF ORISKANY (1777) * WYOMING VALLEY MASSACRE (1778) * CHERRY VALLEY MASSACRE (1778) * SULLIVAN EXPEDITION (1779) * BATTLE OF BLUE LICKS (1782) * NORTHWEST INDIAN WAR (1785–1795) * NICKAJACK EXPEDITION (1794) * SABINE EXPEDITION (1806) * WAR OF 1812 (WESTERN THEATRE), WHICH INCLUDED: * TECUMSEH'S WAR (1811-1813) * PEORIA WAR (1813) * CREEK WAR (1813–1814) * SEMINOLE WARS (1812, 1817–1818, 1835–1842, 1855–1858) * ARIKARA WAR (1823) * FEVER RIVER WAR (1827) * LE FÈVRE INDIAN WAR (1827) * BLACK HAWK WAR (1832) * PAWNEE INDIAN TERRITORY CAMPAIGN (1834) * CREEK WAR OF 1836, AKA SECOND CREEK WAR OR CREEK ALABAMA UPRISING (1835-1837) * MISSOURI-IOWA BORDER WAR (1836) * SOUTHWESTERN FRONTIER (SABINE) DISTURBANCES (NO FIGHTING) (1836–1837) * CHEROKEE UPRISING (1836-1838) * OSAGE INDIAN WAR (1837) * CAYUSE WAR (1848–1855) * NAVAJO WARS (1849–1861) O LONG WALK OF THE NAVAJO (1863–1868) * SOUTHWEST INDIAN WARS (1849-1863) * PITT RIVER EXPEDITION (1850) * MARIPOSA WAR (1850–1851) * YUMA EXPEDITION (1851–1852) * UTAH INDIAN WARS (1851-1853) * WALKER WAR (1853) * GRATTAN MASSACRE (1855) * YAKIMA WAR (1855) * SNAKE RIVER WAR (1855) * KLICKITAT WAR (1855) * PUGET SOUND WAR (1855–1856) * ROGUE RIVER WARS (1855–1856) * KLAMATH AND SALMON INDIAN WARS (1855) * TINTIC WAR (1856) * GILA EXPEDITION (1857) * MENDOCINO WAR (1858) * SPOKANE-COEUR D'ALENE-PALOOS WAR (1858) * PECOS EXPEDITION (1859) * ANTELOPE HILLS EXPEDITION (1859) * BEAR RIVER EXPEDITION (1859) * PAIUTE WAR (1860) * KIOWA-COMANCHE WAR (1860) * CHEYENNE CAMPAIGN (1861–1864) * DAKOTA WAR OF 1862 (1862) * BEAR RIVER MASSACRE (1863)* COLORADO WAR (1863–1865) *CIRCLEVILLE MASSACRE (1866) * KIDDER MASSACRE (1867) * SNAKE WAR (1864–1868) * UTAH'S BLACK HAWK WAR (1849–1872) * RED CLOUD'S WAR (1866–1868) * COMANCHE WARS (1867–1875) * BATTLE OF WASHITA RIVER (1868) * MARIAS MASSACRE (1870) * MODOC WAR (1872–1873) * RED RIVER WAR (1874) * APACHE WARS (1873, 1885–1886) * EASTERN NEVADA EXPEDITION (1875) * BLACK HILLS WAR (1876–1877) * NEZ PERCE WAR (1877) * BANNOCK WAR (1878) * CHEYENNE WAR (1878–1879) * SHEEPEATER INDIAN WAR (1879) * WHITE RIVER WAR (1879) * UTE WAR (1879-1880) * GHOST DANCE WAR (1890–1891) * WOUNDED KNEE MASSACRE (1890) * BATTLE OF LEECH LAKE (1898) * NEW MEXICO NAVAJO WAR (1913) * COLORADO PAIUTE WAR (1915) * AIM TAKEOVERS (1969 - 75) * SENECA INDIAN NATION STANDOFF AND NEW YORK STATE THRUWAY BLOCKADE (1997)

11/19/2024

Utah Native American population stands at 79,000

AXIOS reports that according to the 2023 census Utah's Indigenous popuplation now stands at 79,000! That's about the same number when Brigham Young and the Mormons first arrived in 1847.

 

11/12/2024

REPATRIATION OF TIMPANOGOS CHIEF BLACK HAWK'S REMAINS

Timpanogos Chief Black Hawk was not a member of the Ute Tribe of the Uintah Ouray Reservation. Author and historian Phillip B Gottfredson obtained permission from the Department of the Interior NAGPRA (Native American Graves Protection Repatriation Act) to publish the following official report on the examination of Timpanogos Chief Black Hawk's mortal remains before his reburial at Spring Lake, Utah. Chief Black Hawk was not Ute! It's another colonial lie that needs to be buried.

"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 who had died in 1870
and had been buried in the same approximate location. The physician
collected statements from Chana E. Hales, William E. Croft, Louise N.
Pace, and Ben H. Bullock who had known Black Hawk. These individuals
identified many of the objects as Black Hawk's personal effects. "

See Repatriation Document of Timpanogos Chief Document

 

11/9/2024

End Settler-Colonialism!

What is Settler-Colonialism, and how do we stop it?

According to Cornell Law School, "The concept of settler colonialism can be defined as a system of oppression based on genocide and colonialism, that aims to displace a population of a nation (oftentimes indigenous people) and replace it with a new settler population. Settler colonialism finds its foundations on a system of power perpetuated by settlers that represses indigenous people’s rights and cultures by erasing it and replacing it by their own." See Cornell Law School definition of settler colonialism.

Oxford Bibliographies states, "Settler colonialism is an ongoing system of power that perpetuates the genocide and repression of indigenous peoples and cultures." See Oxford Bibliographies Settler Colonialism.

UCLU Utah, "Indigenous justice is the freedom and ability of Indigenous people to exercise their rights and sovereignty over themselves, their people, and their land." See UCLU Utah

I did a survey and was shocked at how many people I interviewed believed that settler colonialism ended with the Civil War. WOW! Well, folks, I am here to tell you it is still alive. Discrimination, racism, subjugation, and assimilation are still very much alive, not just in North America but around the world. One person asked, "How do we end it?"

I don't believe any one person has the answer. But, I strongly believe the answer lies beyond religion. I believe change begins within. Gandhi said, "Be the change you want to see in the world."

Carlos Barrios, Mayan Elders Council, describes in his book The Book of Destiny that "Somewhere along the way, Western society began to assume that human beings have the right to dominate plants, animals, even each other. The result of this materialist outlook is an economical, ecological, social, and moral crisis that has caused the downfall of other cultures." See Phillip B Gottfredson In The Heart of Mayan Country

I wrote in my book Black Hawk's Mission of Peace, "Native American culture is a perfect example of total spirituality without religion. Elders of the shoshonee and other Tribes, invited me to participate in numerous ceremonies. It was life-changing. The spiritual experiences I had humbled me, and profoundly changed my understanding of Native American culture, and opened my eyes to the sacred connection we have with Mother Earth," See Time To Look Beyond Religion For Answers

We can learn so much from First Nations people if we get out of our heads and listen with our hearts. We need to help each other. We are all interconnected and interdependent upon one another. We need each other to survive and live. We need each other as equals. We are all in a relationship with each other. And each becomes a relative by relationship. We must help each other learn the truth and heal from over a century of fake history. We must find a pathway to forgiveness and help build that bridge between our cultures with compassion, honesty, and mutual respect for humanity.

 

10/29/2024

Repeat after me... Ask The Timpanogos!

At BlackHawkProductions.com, we understand the critical importance of our online ranking. It's not just about being at the top but showing up consistently in related categories. Our high ranking and consistent presence in categories like "Utah Indian Wars" or "The Utah Black Hawk War," are a testament to our success and the importance of our online presence.

Over the past decade, we've faced numerous challenges in re-educating people about the Timpanogos who are Snake-Shoshone and not Ute. We asked the Timpanogos, and published a book, "My Journey To Understand Black Hawk's Mission of Peace." I remember a time when people didn't even know they existed, despite a 12,000-foot mountain in the central part of the state called Mt. Timpanogos. And I was one of them. This mountain, named by Spanish explorers Domingus and Escalante in honor of the Timpanogos Nation in 1776, stands as a testament to its significance. Seeing the number of businesses and institutions that bear the name Timpanogos is inspiring. However, they refer to the majestic mountain, not the Tribe displaced by Mormon colonialism.

It's truly baffling, isn't it? The solution is simple: ask the Timpanogos Nation about their unique history, and read the book! But does anyone, especially historians, engage with the Timpanogos? Do our schools teach the unique and true history of the Timpanogos? Not even the school that bears the name, No, believe it or not, no one has ever asked the Timpanogos who they are or their version of the Black Hawk War in Utah until recently. But if you read the opening paragraph on our Homepage, you will know why. This lack of engagement has fueled our mission since before 2002.

The good news is that we have over 9000 followers a month! Yes! We sincerely appreciate your support and interest in the Timpanogos Nation's history. Your support is what keeps us going and we cannot thank you enough for it. Thank you so very much!

 

10/15/2024

“Violence shifted from warfare to killing”

When you thought the story of the beheadings at Fort Utah in 1850 couldn't get any worse, we've uncovered new information that will make your stomach turn. This local perspective, known as the Massacre at Table Point, was missing from our story of Fort Utah until now. See Massacre at Table Point

10/11/2024

The Church can rewrite history to suit its religious beliefs

"LDS scholars, it's time to stop insulting and denigrating the Timpanogos people. It's unacceptable to use racist terms or publish fake stories and photographs. The Timpanogos people are human beings - Indigenous, Native Americans, and First Nation People. They are Shoshone and not Ute. As members of the human race, they have an inalienable right to fight settler colonialism, and we must support them in this fight."

When my late brother, David, and I began our research of the Utah Black Hawk War in 1989, we couldn't understand why no one was telling the Timpanogos version of the story. Two decades later, people are still arguing whether the Timpanogos are Ute. At least discussions are going on, but what is disturbing is that those arguments have been going on for over a hundred years. Even more troubling is that those who argue never ask the Timpanogos! There is no logic in that. Why would scholars not talk to the Timpanogos, who have thousands of pages of documentation proving who they are?

I have lived with many other Indigenous Tribes in North and South America and have not found the same problem. That's right, only in Utah have I seen so much confusion over who is who and who did what to whom. Why? I am going to give you a clue: Religious Atomony. Religious Autonomy is "the right of religious institutions to govern themselves without interference from the government. It is a principle protected by the Constitution's religious clauses which is based on the idea of separation of Church and state." In other words, the Church can rewrite history to suit its religious beliefs. That means they can lie unchallenged as long as they tell the story from their religious perspective, i.e., the Book of Mormon. From a moral and ethical standpoint, you say it's just not right, and I agree. But from a legal perspective, morals and ethics don't apply.

If you would like to discuss this matter, please visit our Facebook page (link above) and I will open a chat forum.

 

10/03/2024

Sunstone.org Utah Black Hawk War Podcast with Phillip B Gottfredson & Lindsay Hansen Park

You are invited to listen to the Sunstaone.org Podcast with Phillip B Gottfredson and Linsay Hansen Park discussing the Utah Black Hawk War from the Native American perspective. Click Here: https://sunstone.org/episode-133-the-black-hawk-war/

 

9/29/2024

The Native Nation Festival !!

The Timpanogos Cultural Festival had a great turnout! Gary Lee Price brought his magnificent bronze statue of Timpanogos Chief Wakara, titled "Anew Day," to the event, stealing the show. The 5th great-granddaughter of Wakara, Jamie, seen in the photo with Phillip B Gottfredson, was also present, along with Rustin Bonner, who drove from Oregon to support his Tribe. Artist Carol Pettit Harding, who designed the cover for Phillip B Gottfredson's book "Black Hawk's Mission of Peace," also attended with her daughter Fawn.

Unexpectedly, the University Mall made a surprising alteration to the program without informing Mary Meyer of the Timpanogos. The event, previously centered on the Timpanogos and known as the Timpanogos Cultural Festival, was rebranded as the Native Nations Festival this year. Despite this unexpected change, the event saw meaningful participation from the Morning Star Academy Preparatory School, the Allan Grover family, and the ASD Title 6, a federally funded Native American education program. Each was given a half hour to share their unique perspectives and stories.

Mary Meyer and Perry Murdock spoke on behalf of the Timpanogos, addressing how history has distorted the past and robbed them of their culture. Their authenticity and courage in reminding people of the colonization of Utah were evident, earning them the respect of all who were present.

The Timpanogos tribe significantly impacted the event, particularly with the presence of Gary Lee Price's statue of Chief Wakara and his descendants. Their authenticity and courage in reminding people of the colonization of Utah were evident, inspiring all who were present. Indeed, it was a new day for the Timpanogos; their authenticity was a standout feature, setting them apart at the event.

9/28 2024

 

Come see us at the Timpanogos Cultural estival at University Place in Orem, Utah 3 to 6pm TODAY!!

9/26/2024

Remembering Timpanogos Chief Black Hawk passed over on this day September 26, 1870. See Black Hawk's Burial.

 

9/19/2024

Refresh pages, Phillip has been making changes again!!

We have restructured our website to make it easier to navigate while browsing. The Research Menu at the top of each Story page is the best way to find general key sections. For specific subjects or to follow the Black Hawk War story sequentially please go to the Research Menu at the top of each page. New feature in navagation is, if you are just browsing click on the NEXT link at the bottom of each page to follow the Black Hawk War story chronologically.

We found a bunch of pages with awesome information we forgot we had and linked them up to the Research Menu! We corrected some mistakes and tightened things up. Slight changes can have a good or bad effect on our rankings. But the most important thing for us is our visitors. We want you always to have a good experience when you visit us. Hope you are having a great day!!

 

9/14/2024

The Timpanogos Nation Is Snake-Shoshone

I have a question for the Ute Tribe of the Uintah Ouray Reservation. You say the Timpanogos are Ute because you claim their Chiefs Sanpitch, Wakara, and Black Hawk are your Chiefs, and you have no documentation to prove that BTW, then why is the Ute Tribe not paying the Timpanogos royalties on the millions of gallons you export off the Uintah Valley Reservation each month? -Phillip B Gottfredson

9/13/2024

The Lie Said To The Truth

I love this so much I think I will memorize it! It's from the 18th century.

 

The Lie said to the Truth, "Lets take a bath together, the water is very nice."

The Truth, still suspicious, tested the water and found out it was nice, so they got naked and bathed.

But suddenly, the Lie leapt out of the water and fled, wearing the clothes of Truth. The truth, furious, raced out of the pond to get her clothes back. But the world, upon seeing the naked Truth, looked away with anger and contempt.

Poor Truth returned to the pond and disappeared forever hiding in shame.

Since then, the Lie runs around dressed as the truth, and society is very happy, because the world has no desire to know the naked Truth. (UNKNOWN)

 

9/7/2024

Special Order #1

The question asked is, if there was an Order #2 to exterminate the Timpanogos Tribe, what was Order #1?

 

Source: Battle at Fort Utah. (2024, August 1). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_at_Fort_Utah

Order No. 1 was a war-order from Apostle Daniel H. Wells to the Nauvo Legion allerting them to prepare to exterminate the Timpanogos Nation. Special Order #2. was the actual order to General George D Grant of the Nauvo Legion, to carry out the order at Fort Utah. See Fort Utah for more information.

8/20/2024

Special Order No. 2

“On January 31, 1850, Apostle Daniel H. Wells drafted orders for Captain George D. Grant to exterminate the Timpanogos, known as Special Order No. 2. The decision was the result of a meeting with Isaac Higbee, bishop of Fort Utah, together with the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Higbee reported conflict between the pioneers and the Timpanogos, and it was unanimously decided the only way to keep Fort Utah would be to exterminate the Timpanogos.

“The initial detachment commenced battle on February 8, 1850 under Captain Grant. However, after hearing reports of poor attitude of the settlers in working with Grants’s troops, Brigham Young asked Wells to lead a detachment. On February 11th, Wells arrived and split the army into two. One contingent followed the trail of some Timpanogos who had fled up Rock Canyon. Wells led the other contingent south towards Spanish Fork river. He divided them into smaller parties and searched the southern valley for native peoples to kill. On February 14th, at Table Rock near the southeastern shore of Utah lake, one of the smaller hunting parties captured a band of Utes. Lieutenant Gunnison of the Stansbury Expedition reported that the Mormons promised to be friendly to the Timpanogos men, but then lined up the men to be executed in front of their families. Some attempted to flee across the frozen lake, but the Mormons ran after them on horseback and shot them. At least eleven Ute men were killed. In total, one militia man and an estimated 102 Timpanogos were killed.”~Wells’s Special Order No. 2, Utah State Archives, State Capitol, Salt Lake City, Utah Territorial Militia Correspondence, 1849-1863, ST-27, Microfilm reel 1, Document No. 5. Eugene E. Campbell. Establishing Zion~

Brigham Young is quoted saying, “I say go [and] kill them…Tell Dimick Huntington to go and kill them—also Barney Ward—let the women and children live if they behave themselves…We have no peace until the men [are] killed off—never treat the Indian as your equal.” ~BYC, Microfilm reel 80, box 47, folder 6. Farmer, Jared (2008). On Zion’s Mount: Mormons, Indians, and the American Landscape. Harvard University Press. ISBN 9780674027671~

“There is a curse on these aborigines of our country who roam the plains, and are so wild that you cannot tame them. They are of the house of Israel; they once had the Gospel delivered to them, they had oracles of truth; Jesus came and administered to them after his resurrection, and they received and delighted in the Gospel until the fourth generation, then they turned away and become so wicked that God cursed them with this dark and benighted and loathsome condition; and they want to sit on the ground in the dirt, and to live by hunting, and they cannot be civilized. And right upon this, I will say to our government if they could hear me, ‘You need never fight the Indians, but if you want to get rid of them try to civilize them.’ How many were here when we came? At the Warm Springs, at this little grove where they would pitch their tents, we found perhaps three hundred Indians; but I do not suppose that there are three of that bank left alive now. There was another band a little south, another north, another further east; but I do not suppose there is one in ten, perhaps not one in a hundred, now alive of those who were here when we came. Did we kill them? No, we fed them. They would say, ‘We want just as fine flour as you have.’  To Walker, the chief, whom all California and New Mexico dreaded, I said, ‘It will just as sure kill as the world, if you live as we live.’ Said he, ‘I want as good as Brigham, I want to eat as he does.’ Said I, ‘Eat then, but it will kill you.’ I told the same to Arapeen, Walker’s brother; but they must eat and drink as the whites did, and I do not suppose that one in a hundred of those bands are alive. We brought their children into our families, and nursed and did everything for them it was possible to do for human beings, but die they would. Do not fight them, but treat them kindly. There will then be no stain on the Government, and it will get rid of them much quicker than by fighting them. They have got to be civilized, and there will be a remnant of them saved.” ~Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 14:86-87 (9 April 1871)~ See Fort Utah Massacre