Native Americans and SettlersNative Americans and Settlers

Pioneer Settler Population Growth Pioneer Settler Population Growth and Native Population Declineand Native Population Decline

• Settlers = >25• Natives = <20,000

• Settlers = < 300,000• Natives = > 2,500

0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

Total People

1

Settlers and Natives

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

Total People

1

Settlers and Natives

1846 1900

Why the decline?Why the decline?• Disease: The pioneers and other settlers

brought new diseases to the area. - Typhoid– Diphtheria– Colds– Influenza– Chicken Pox– Tuberculosis– Scarlet Fever– Measles– Small Pox

• Before the pioneers, Spanish Explorers had also brought new diseases to Utah.

• Reduction of food supply from settlers hunting.

Clash of CultureClash of Culture

• Things the settlers didn’t understand about the Native Americans:– Why the Natives

abandoned disabled older people and disabled babies.

– Indian slavery• Utes would take

Goshute and Paiute slaves.

• Things the Native Americans didn’t understand about the settlers:– Why the settlers had

so many rules.– Harsh discipline.– Farming/property.– Why they were so

competitive with each other.

Most settlers and Native Americans Most settlers and Native Americans lived PEACEFULLY.lived PEACEFULLY.

• Even with their cultural differences, the settlers and Native Americans lived peacefully.– When settlers were starving in the winter, the

Native Americans helped them find food.– Indian Relief Society – Settler women would

make clothing for Indian women and children.– The Indians would work for the settlers for

food.

Indian Relief SocietyIndian Relief Society

Conflict Among TribesConflict Among Tribes

• The Shoshone, Utes and Paiutes were rivals and felt animosity towards each other.

• Battles often would lead to retaliation for aggressive acts.

• Many Native American leaders welcomed the settlers because they thought they would become allies and help them fight their other Native enemies.

U.S. Government and the IndiansU.S. Government and the Indians

• The U.S. Government dealt with Native Americans in 4 ways:– Assimilation– Removal– Relocation– Sovereignty

AssimilationAssimilation

• The U.S. government and the Mormons would try to force Natives to act and live like white people.– Indian Farms and schools.

• Like many Americans, Mormons believed their agricultural lifestyle and religion was better for the Native Americans.

• Natives that went to Indian farms and schools often lost some of their cultural identity.

AssimilationAssimilation

• Throughout the United States Indian Schools were set up to “civilize” the Indians. They would take Indian children away from their families and home and force them to change their religion and culture. In Utah the Mormons were not as harsh as other parts of the U.S.

AssimilationAssimilation

RemovalRemoval• Sadly, the U.S. government and the

Mormons had some battles with the Utah Native Americans.– Walker War – 1853 to 1854

• Utes were raiding settlements and stealing horses and cattle. Settlers built forts. Few were killed

• Walkara, one of the Ute leaders met with Brigham Young to make peace in Juab County. While there, Brigham Young gave a healing blessing to one of Walkara’s children and that eased tensions.

• Utes were forced to leave the area near Utah Lake.

RemovalRemoval

• Goshute War – 1860– Goshutes started attacking Stage Coach

stations in Utah and Nevada.– Seven stations were destroyed in Utah.– U.S. Army attacked the Goshutes.

• At Simpson Springs, the army surrounded and slaughtered an entire Indian camp of men, women and children.

– Over 100 Indians were killed. Only 16 whites were killed.

RemovalRemoval– Bear River Massacre – Many people traveling west past

Utah, shot at and frightened friendly Shoshone Indians. Then small groups of Shoshone then started attacking wagon trains. U.S. soldiers, led by Patrick Connor, attacked and massacred about 300 men, women and children.

– Mormon settlers who witnessed the battle were sickened by the sight and disappointed in the U.S. Army for what they did.

Watch the Video Clip

RemovalRemoval• Black Hawk War – 1865 – 1868

– The LONGEST and most DESTRUCTIVE conflict in Utah.

– Brigham Young had met with Indian leaders and had made a treaty. That treaty was sent to Washington D.C., where is was rejected by the U.S. Congress.

– Black Hawk (the greatest single leader against pioneer expansion) began to attack settlements to get food for the starving Indians who had been forced from their lands.

– About 50 to 70 settlers were killed and 50 to 70 Indians were killed.

– After the war ended, 1,500 Utes were forced to move to the reservation.

RelocationRelocation

• Native American groups were forced to move to Indian Reservations:– 1861 – President Lincoln creates the Uinta

Valley Indian Reservation where the Utes were forced to go.

– 1884 – Navajo Indian Reservation created.– 1891 – Shivwitz Reservation created and

Paiutes were forced to move there.

RelocationRelocation- Before the Pioneers came, the Utes controlled 45% of Utah’s land, - Before the Pioneers came, the Utes controlled 45% of Utah’s land, after they were put on reservations they only controlled 9% of their after they were put on reservations they only controlled 9% of their

former lands. (about 4% of Utah land).former lands. (about 4% of Utah land).

Shoshone

UTESGoshutes

Paiutes

Navajo

Utah’s 7 Major Indian ReservationsUtah’s 7 Major Indian Reservations

• Unitah-Ouray

• Navajo

• Washakie

• Skull Valley

• Goshute

• Kanosh

• Shivwitz

SovereigntySovereignty

• Tribes were given the power to govern themselves on Reservation lands (a nation within a nation).

• In 1934, Native

Americans won

the right to have

Tribal councils.• Navajo Nation Video

Religious ConversionReligious Conversion

• Throughout Utah, many Utah Indians converted to the Mormon religion.

• Jacob Hamblin taught and converted many Paiutes. The Paiutes trusted him because he took the time to become friends with them and learned their language.

John Wesley PowellJohn Wesley Powell

• While exploring the Colorado River, John Wesley Powell met with Kaibab Southern Paiutes and Jacob Hamblin to get information about the area.