The Utes: A Forgotten People [Paperback]

Wilson Rockwell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 1998

Who were the Ute Indians? And what part did they play in the history of the Western Slope? When prospectors arrived in present day Colorado in 1858, it was the Utes who greeted them. These Native Americans had inhabited this part of the Rocky Mountains for centuries. When originally published in 1956, The Utes: A Forgotten People was the first published book devoted solely to an overall history of the Ute Indians. Wilson Rockwell undertook painstaking research and many interviews to extensively record the history of the early Native Americans who once dominated our region. Rockwell includes everything; it's all here, from the fights, conflicts, customs, and pre-history to the dances, economy, movement, and famous leaders of the seven Ute bands who contributed so much to the history of western Colorado and Utah. This book has been used as the primary source of research for every book on the Utes written since.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Wilson Rockwell, former Colorado State Senator, is one of western Colorado's most prolific historians. He has written extensively of the settlement and development of this area. Now living in Canada, he continues to write but most of his western Colorado books are out of print and very difficult to find. Western Reflections, Inc. is pleased to announce that it has contracted with Wilson Rockwell to bring most of these treasured histories back into print to be enjoyed by a new generation of readers.

From the Back Cover

When prospectors arrived in present-day Colorado in 1858, it was the Utes with whom they had to contend. They had inhabited this part of the Rocky Mountains for centuries. Wilson Rockwell's The Utes: A Forgotten People is the first overall history of the Ute tribe. It has been used as the primary source of research for every book written on the Utes since. It includes many photographs and most of the major Ute treaties as well as many useful footnotes.

Product Details

• Paperback: 307 pages
• Publisher: Western Reflections Publishing Co.; 2 edition (July 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1890437239
• ISBN-13: 978-1890437237
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,037,636 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A disappointing and dated book, June 22, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Utes: A Forgotten People (Paperback)

The title of this book is apt, for the author has forgotten to include those Ute groups who lived in, what is now, the state of Utah. This book deals solely with those Ute groups that lived within Colorado. Also the early history of the Utes is largely ignored - 100 plus years of contact with the Spanish is skimmed over in a few pages. Likewise the traditional life and customs of the Utes gets scant treatment.

Most of the book deals with the Colorado Utes history subsequent to the American occupation of the west. The events of the "Meeker Massacre" occupy a large part.

The book was first published in the 1950s and this shows in the way the author, at times, discribes the Utes as "savages" and "bucks". Overall this books merits lie in its desciptions of the events around the "Meeker Massacre" and the removal of most of the Utes from Colorado. Anyone wanting to learn more about the Utes traditional life styles and beliefs would be better served by "The Utes - the Mountain People" by Jan Pettit which is a more up to date treatment of the early history and customs of the Utes (also profusely illustrated.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An absolute must for anyone interested in Native History!, November 25, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Utes: A Forgotten People (Paperback)

This has been an very interesting and incredibly thourough journey through history.The book contains Ute Indian stories and historical matters written in detail to near perfection .But how could you possibly go wrong with such intricate research.Nothing is missing from this book...it is filled with Ute Indian facts from early history and developement to religion, marriages and wars.The photos are ample and very intreresting, really portraying the accompanying stories.