The Utah Black Hawk War Research News & Updates

Will Bagley author of "Blood of the Prophets: Brigham Young and the Massacre at Moutain Meadows," passed away September 28, 2021.

Will was the first historian I came to be personally acquainted with when I began my research of the Black Hawk War in Utah. I am forever grateful to Will for the many hours we spent discussing Mormon history. Whenever I had questions, he was my go-to historian, for I always knew Will would give me informed and honest answers.

Brigham Young University ecology professor Ben Abbott invited Chief Executive Mary Meyer of the Timpanogos Nation to speak at the Utah Lake symposium that was held at Utah Valley University on June 5th. Utah Lake has been in decline from years of abuse and neglect going back decades. Toxic algae blooms, and invasive fish such as carp have led to developers recommending the lake be dredged and islands built in an effort to accommodate Utah Valley's burgeoning population growth. Whereas ecologists and scientists disagree with such plans saying it would drastically change the ecology of the lake.

Quoting from the Salt Lake Tribune article, “It seems to me this project would do more to damage than help,” said Meyer, whose ancestors once inhabited the lake shore, in her opening remarks. “Utah, I ask that you please take heed to what the experts opposing this project have to say. Our people and the reeds around this lake give you your name. We stand in favor of restoring the lake to its natural beauty, but have to oppose privatizing and desecrating this historic sacred site.” (See the full article in the Salt Lake Tribune)

More information regarding the Timpanogos Nation and the extraordinary support they have found will be announced soon by the Tribe on their website: The Timpanogos Nation; Uinta Valley Reservation.

It has been an exciting month for the Timpanogos Tribe of Utah. The good news is that a museum, historian, archeologist, archivist, and anthropologist scholars have expressed to the Timpanogos that they are willing to make a sincere effort to ensure they have their rightful place in Utah and American history.

"The meetings have gone well and have been productive," said Mary Meyer, Chief Executive of the Timpanogos Nation. Mary expresses cautious optimism that this may be the right time for long-overdue reconciliation and new beginnings for the Tribe.

The State of Utah Water Rights Violation Uintah Valley Reservation

According to an article published in the Salt Lake Tribune on 05/13/2021 by Emma Penrod, the State of Utah and the CUP are attempting to take water from the Uintah Valley Reservation ignoring aboriginal treaty rights. The Ute Nation is suing the State to get back it's water "asserting that the misapproriation is one of a decades-long string of racially motivated schemes to deprive it of it's rights and property", according to the article.

"Rights and property" have been at the core of every conflict between the First Nation peoples of Utah and Mormon colonists since 1847. Hat's off to the Ute Nation for taking a stand to protect the Uintah Valley Reservation's valuable resources essential to life it's self. The State of Utah has no jurisdiction what-so-ever on tribal land according to the Tenth District court.

We are also grateful to the Salt Lake Tribune for making the public aware of the injustices aboriginal people of Utah have had to fight for, from traditional tribal homelands, hunting rights, fishing rights, the timber on their land, water rights, their culture, their religion, their identity, and freedom.

We are pleased to announce Mary Meyer Chief Executive of the Timpanogos Tribe, and myself Phillip B Gottfredson have updated our story on the Walker War of 1853. We felt it was time to address the accuracy of Wakara's controversial burial, and his alleged slave trade.

For decades historians have written that two women were sacrificed and placed in his grave along with two live children and anywhere from 12 to 50 horses, depending on which Whiteman's account you read. And that Wakara stole from his own blood relatives their children and sold them as slaves. Mary, along with members of the Timpanogos Tribe, we have had numerous discussions about this story that has circulated for many decades, and gone by unchallenged. And of coarse no one has ever asked the Timpanogos their version of the story.

There were several broken links throughout and have been fixed. We apologies for any inconvenience.

Jay Winter Nightwolf: American Indian & Indigenous Peoples Truths

The Timpanogos Matter (Mary Meyer & Phil Gottfredson)

Mary Murdock Meyer is the Chief Executive of the Snake Shoshone Timpanogos Nation."As Chief Executive of the Timpanogos Nation I [Mary Meyer] have pondered many times how our people were forgotten. We are the living descendents of legendary Chiefs Walkara, Kanosh, Tabby, Arropeen, Washakie, Tintic, Sowiette, Sanpitch and others, who extended their hospitality to Mormon leader Brigham Young and his followers."Phillip B Gottfredson has been researching the Black Hawk War since 1989 and has published "My Journey to Understand... Black Hawks Mission of Peace"."Some 70,000 Timpanogos Indians — the aboriginal people of Utah — died from violence, starvation, and disease after Mormon colonists stole their land and destroyed their culture over a 21-year timeframe according to the detailed account Gottfredson learned from the Native Americans." Music: Keep My Memory (Alexis Raeana feat. Charly Lowry)Jay Winter Nightwolf, HostVerona Iriarte, PrayerMoe Thomas, Production Editor

Please join Mary Murdock Meyer and Phillip B Gottfredson in a live podcast with Jay Winter Nightwolf. Recorded live a year ago from Mary's home on the Uintah Valley Reservation, Mary and Phillip engage in a powerful conversation with long-time talk host Jay Winter Nightwolf discussing the Timpanogos Nation and the Black Hawk War of Utah. Listen now.

Yes, but it was necessary. The reason this time has to do with SEO (search engine optimization). SEO is the art of getting the search engines to give your website high rankings in the search results. It is said Google is making a core change to it's search engine algorithms this

coming May. And in order to meet their new requirements we have had to make a few more changes. It gets very complicated when designing a website in todays world of technology. It used to be so easy. And since I am an old-school web-designer the learning curve has been very challenging. But I have done my homework and hopefully the changes I have made are going to work. (fingers crossed)

Back in 2002 when I first launched this website, we were the only website on the internet talking about the Black Hawk War. Now there's thousands. The competition is getting harder all the time. And the catch 22 is, we have made thousands of changes over the past two years and that by itself has caused some SEO problems. The solution is to let it go now. Stop making changes and let the search engines catch up to what we have done.

So the good news is no more changes for at least until June when we can evaluate everything again.

We've come along ways my friends. There can be no doubt the presence of the Timpanogos Nation is on the internet. All our hard word work and persistence is finally being realized not only in Utah, but nationally and internationally.

It is interesting that Brazil has taken a consistent interest. Website statistics show us they have been consistent in visiting our websites. China, Netherlands, Great Britain, Germany, France, and Sweden are among a growing crowd of visitors as well.

For those who don't know about Ft. Duchesne it is the home of the Timpanogos Nation which is located in the north-eastern corner of the State of Utah. Established in 1886 by the United States government as a fort, it was closed 1912. Population of Ft. Duchesne is roughly 800 and is located on the Uinta Valley Reservation that was established by President Abraham Lincoln in the year 1861.

The Timpanogos just four years ago was barely known, but that is changing know. Hopefully they can achieve long over-due federal recognition they so justly deserve.

In the previous article we discused the name Antonga and if perhaps it is of Spanish origin. If it is Spanish in origin then the letter 'G' would be silent. Antonga would be pronounced 'A-n-t-o-n-u-a' which could explain the difference in spellings 'Antongar" "Antongua" and a couple others.

The name "Antonga" has for decades been a topic of many discussions with the Timpanogos Tribe. Was his real name "Antonga" and where did it come from? In the coming months we will be exploring this issue in an effort to find the truth.

"There are several different spellings" said Mr. Gottfredson. "Antonga being the most widely accepted. "Antongua" and "Antongar" are another versions I have seen in several historical accounts. I believe the name is Spanish in origin. The reasoning being that in those days Mexico bordered Utah to the south and the Timpanogos had trade relations with their Spanish-speaking neighbors. I believe it was a nick-name and may have been "Antonia" translated means "worthy of praise." One thing is certain, the Timpanogos don't recognise the name Antonga."

Some of the articles on our website I wrote a decade or more ago during the time I was learning about the Black Hawk War. I have been reviewing those articles and corrected my mistakes. For example, two articles one being 'John O'Sullivan's Manifest Destiny' and the other 'The Doctrine of Discovery.' I realize now that at the time I wrote these around 2009 I was confused, and for that reason assumed both were somehow interrelated. I apologize for the oversight. The Doctrine of Discovery was written by Christian monarchs in 1452. Whereas Manifest Destiny was written in 1839. However, it is important to know that both did play a role in the genocide of Native Americans.

And incidently, our page on The Doctrine of Discovery has gone viral three days in a row and still going.

Thank you for your patience and understanding. Stay safe and keep up the good fight.

We encourage everyone to 'REFRESH' or 'RELOAD' the page you are on for any updates to appear. This is especially important if you are a regular visitor to clear your browser cache. New visitors don't have to do anything.

Again thank you for your patience and we appologize for any inconvienance you may have experienced during this exausting process.

The Utah Black Hawk War

Research Updates

"It is the objective of BlackHawkProductions.com to educate people about the Utah Black Hawk War; the unjust and unnecessary devastation it has brought to the Timpanogos Tribe of Utah. We are dedicated in our efforts to help the Timpanogos Nation find their rightful place in Utah's history."

Updates

The State of Utah Water Rights Violation Uintah Valley Reservation

Jay Winter Nightwolf: American Indian & Indigenous Peoples Truths

The Timpanogos Matter (Mary Meyer & Phil Gottfredson)

The Utah Black Hawk War Research Updates

"It is the objective of BlackHawkProductions.com to educate people about the Utah Black Hawk War; the unjust and unnecessary devastation it has brought to the Timpanogos Tribe of Utah. We are dedicated in our efforts to help the Timpanogos Nation find their rightful place in Utah's history."

Updates

The State of Utah Water Rights Violation Uintah Valley Reservation

Jay Winter Nightwolf: American Indian & Indigenous Peoples Truths

The Timpanogos Matter (Mary Meyer & Phil Gottfredson)

The Utah Black Hawk War

Research Updates