Ute Indian Tribe

Guide to  ancestry, family history and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, parish registers, and other agency records.



Homeland: Utah, New Mexico and Colorado Bands: Muache, Capote, Weeminuche, Uncompahgre (Taviwach), White River (Parusanuch and Yampa), Uintah, Timpanogots, Sanpits, and Moanunts Bands in Colorado: Muache, Capote, Weeminuche, Uncompahgre, Parusanuch and Yampa Bands in Utah: Uintah, Timpanogots, Pahvant, Sanpits and Moanunts. Population: 1990: 7,273 (Northern Ute 2,650, Ute Mountain 1,264, Southern Ute 1,044 others off reservations) Leaders: Walker, Ignacio, Ouray

Tribal Headquarters
 Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah Ouray Reservation P.O. Box 190 Ft. Duchesne, UT 84026 Phone: 1.435.722.5141 Fax: 1.435.722.2374

Brief Timeline
The Blanding Utes are descendants of small bands which claimed the Blue Mountain region of Utah as their home. They refused to move to Colorado.
 * 1598 Spanish trade began
 * 1776: Dominquez and Escalanate came in contact with the Tribe.
 * 1849 December 30,
 * 1811: Fur trappers encounter the tribe
 * 1821: Mexico gains independence from Spain
 * 1821: Santa Fe Trail opens
 * 1828: Fort Uncampahgre build on Gunnison River
 * 1832: A trading post in the area of Whiterock.
 * 1844: Fort Uncompahgre destroyed by the Utes.
 * 1848: Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ends Mexican-American War
 * 1853: Walker War
 * 1859: Colorado Gold Rush begins
 * 1860: Black Hawk War
 * 1861 Uintah Reservation established.
 * 1861: Uintah and Ouray Utes of Utah terminated, Tribal membership 490, Tribal land 211,430 acres
 * 1863: Treaty
 * 1866: First agency headquarters was established on the Duchesne River near present town of Tabiona.
 * 1868 March 2, at Washington,with the Tabaguache, Muache, Capote, Weeminuche, Yampa, Grand River and Uinta bands
 * 1873: Weminuche, Mouache and Capote bands relocate to Pine River in southwestern Colorado. (today: Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Reservations)
 * 1877: Southern Ute Reservation established, the Mouache, Capote and Wiemiuche band members resided there. The Wiemiuche band later under the jurisdiction of Navajo Springs Agency.
 * 1878: Ute Indians of Colorado relinquish their rights to 12 million acres of land.
 * 1878: Removal of Ute and Apache Indians from the Cimarron Agency, New Mexico Territory to the Southern Ute Agency, Colorado, and the Mescalero Agency, New Mexico Territory.
 * 1879: Meeker and Thronburgh Massacres, Utes kill 13 U.S. soldiers and 10 agency officials (N. C.Meeker, Indian agent, had plowed under the White River band's horse-racing tract.)
 * 1880: Removal of the White River Band from Colorado to Uintah Reservation in Utah.
 * 1881: Ouray Reservation established and Fort Duchesne was established as a military post.White River Band and Uncompahgre Bands were exiled to eastern Utah . They became the Northern Utes. The reservation became the Uintah and Ouray reservation.
 * 1882: The Uncompahgre Reservation was established for the Uncompahgre Band.
 * 1895: Weminuche band moves to Southern Ute Reservation and become Ute Mountain
 * 1896: Land allotments distributed to Southern Utes
 * 1921: Minor Paiute uprising under Chief Old Posey.
 * 1938: The Tribe was Federal recognized

They are sometimes referred o as the Allen Canyon Utes. The Blanding Utes were allotted in the 1920's and 1930's

Additional References
Emmitt, Robert. The Last War Trail. Norman, OK; University of Oklahoma, 1954

Jefferson, James. The Southern Utes: A Tribal History. Ignacio, CO. Southern Ute Tribe. FHL Book 970.3 Ute2j

Lyman, June and Norma Denver, ''Ute People - An Historical Study. ''1970. University of Utah

Pettit, Jan. ''Utes the Mountain People. FHL book 970.3 UT2p''

Lavender, David. The Big Divide.NY. Doubleday and CO. 1948.

Marsh, Charles S. ''People of the Shining Mountains: The Utes of Colorado. ''FHL book 970.3 Ut2m

Opler, Marvin K. ''The Southern Utes of Colorado. In acculturation in Seven American Indian Tribes''. Ralph Linton, Ed. NY> D. Appleton- Century, 1940

Dutton, Bertha P. The Rancheria, Ute and Southern Paiute Peoples. FHL 970.1 D954r

Rockwell, Wilson. The Utes: A Forgotten People. Denvel Saga Biijs, 1956.

Tyler, Samuel Lyman. The Ute People: a Bibliographical Checklist. FHL book 970.3 Ut2t

Reservations
Reservations are tracts of land set aside for occupation and use by American Indians

Southern Ute Reservation - Colorado- descendants of Muache and Capote bands

Ute Mountain Reservation - Colorado-Weeminuche

Uintah-Ouray Reservation - Utah -Uncompahgre (Taviwach), White River (Parusanuch and Yampa), Uintah, Timpanogots, Sanpits, and Moanunts

Towaoc Reservation: Indians on this reservation became known as the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe.

Superintendency
Records for Superintendencies exist in the National Archives and copies of many of them are also available in other research facilities.

New Mexico Superintendency

Colorado Superintendency

Utah Superintendency

Agencies
The following Agencies of the Bureau of Indian Affairs had jurisdiction over all or part of the Ute Indians for the years indicated:


 * Consolidated Ute -- Southern Ute
 * Fort Lewis -- Southern Ute
 * Navajo Springs -- Southern Ute
 * Paiute
 * Southern Ute -- Southern Ute
 * Uintah Valley
 * Uintah and Ouray -- Uncompahgre Ute Band, White River Band
 * Ute Mountain -- Southern Ute

Records
The majority of records of individuals were those created by the agencies. Some records may be available to tribal members through the tribal headquarters.They were (and are) the local office of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and were charged with maintaining records of the activities of those under their responsibility. Among these records are:


 * Allotment records
 * Annuity rolls
 * Census records
 * Correspondence
 * Health records
 * Reports
 * School census and records
 * Vital records

Correspondence and Census
Census

1944 Census of the Ute Tribe FHL film 001761

Consolidated Ute Census 1932-1939 FHL film 575,770

Online Rolls


 * 1944 - at FamilySearch — index

Church Records
Religious denominations: Assembly of God, Baptist, Catholic, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and Jehovah's Witnesses. Two Indian missions of the Episcopal Church are located on the reservation at Whiterocks and Randlett.

Enrollment

 * 1954 Proposed rolls Full Blood and Mixed Blood of the Ute Tribe of Uintah and Ouray Reservation in Utah www.accessgenealogy.com
 * Transcription: Proposed Membership Rolls of the Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation 1954. Vol. 9 No. 2 pages 11-34. FHL 907.1 J8255j
 * Ute Mixed-Blood Final Roll, Fort Duchesne, UT. March 1, 1956. FHL film 1033685 item 6 another copy 928522 item 6 and FHL book 970.1A1 no. 21

Land Records
Uintah and Ouray Agency Land Division. 1953 FHL film 001762

Removal
Removal of Ute Indians in Colorado to Utah

Treaties

 * 1849 December 30,
 * 1863 October 7,with the Tabeguache Band
 * 1868 March 2, at Washington,with the Tabaguache, Muache, Capote, Weeminuche, Yampa, Grand River and Uinta bands

Vital Records
Uintah and Ouray Agency, M595,


 * Births and deaths 1924-1932, FHL film 583072

Consolidated Ute Agency, M595,


 * Births and deaths 1924-1931, FHL film 575769
 * Births and deaths 1931-1939, FHL film 575770

For Further Reading
See also American Indian For Further Reading.


 * Constitution and By-laws of the Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation
 * The Ute Indian Tribe Official Website
 * Ute Tribe Wikipedia