Customer Reviews

The Ute Indians of Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico

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4 star:		(1)
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A well researched history of the Ute Indians and the areas they lived in. Virginia Simmons discusses various stereotypes made by those who first encountered the Utes and sets the record straight. The Utes were an important element in the regional history of Colorado, Utah and New Mexico. I found her descriptions of the adjustments the Utes had to make in various environments most interesting. If you wish to learn about nomadic Indian ways and culture this is an excellent book to read. Well written tribute to a tribe that struggled to survive the onslaught of the whiteman's culture.

Did not have as many photos as I would have liked to break it up, but the details of historical events were incredible and I was able to use much of the information found in this book.

This book is an account of the Ute Indians who were native to what is now the southwestern United States along the border who immigrated to the area around Utah and Colorado a millenia ago. The Utes are not a unified body but rather bands of different indians who spoke a similar language based on the Uto-Aztecan dialect. The story of this book touches on various events in history such as the Dominguez-Escalante expedition which was the first Spanish expedition into Colorado and Utah, the alliance of Utes with the Pueblo Indians during the revolt of 1680, the tribal conflicts between the Utes and the Comanches, Kiowa, Pawnee and Navajoes and the eventual decline with the arrival of the American anglos shortly after the events of the Mexican War of 1846-48.

The second part of the book goes into depth on the trials and tribulations as the white man approached. Once streching from from the Wasatch Range to the Front Range around present-day Denver, Ute territory was reduced over the years via treaties and depredations from white squatters to a small area of Utah and a strip along the Colorado-New Mexico state line. The book discusses various famous Utes such as Ouray and Chepeta who were instrumental in bringing their people into modern times.

The narrative is very typical of once proud indians in America who were reduced to receiving rations and dependent on other government handouts. Such treatment of people should serve as a lesson for those who think one's salvation comes from government. It is my hope that Native Americans can break free from the overbearing hand of government. Some people on the reservations think that the BIA stands for "bossing indians around."

This is the 2nd book about Native American lives - the other being the Navajo - and this one is like the other one. BORING. I found that this was just a listing of all these obscure facts and minor happenings. I guess what I expect to read when I pick up a book on the Utes is what was their life like? What did they eat? How did they hunt? What was their life really like? This book just dragged on and on about so many little details that I wound up just skimming through half of it looking for something different and interesting. Can't someone write a good book about one of the tribes? I've heard of 1 or 2 others I am going to check out. Hopefully, they will be more exciting and educational.