Black Hawk War of Utah

The year is 1865, April 9th. Mormon settlers and other white pioneers venture into new lands to set down their roots, practice their ostracized beliefs and build their envisioned utopian society. The influx of Latter-Day Saints colonists strike Native American tribes in the region with agricultural and food poverty. The introduction of pigs to the native communities causes devastation to native crops. Invasive swine consuming vegetation means a decrease in game for Native people. With the growing popularity of beaver-skin hats among the pioneers, There is a loss of beaver ponds with the growing popularity of beaver-skin hats among the pioneers. The lack of the ponds means no nourishment for the indegienous animals of the land, which native people rely on to survive.

Many other blockages cause unrest in the western United States; some of them literal.

Colonists practice strong boundaries in regards to private property. Native tribes which rely on hunting by season, are now faced with walls and fences—leaving their families nutritionally impoverished.

The fight for survival will eventually turn into a heated battle over land, territory and food. On this exact same day, the American Civil War is coming to an end as generals Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee discuss the terms of surrender for the Confederacy. Shortly after, on April 15, President Abraham Lincoln is assassinated. While one war is ending, another is just beginning. In Utah, negotiations in Manti between Mormons, Utes, Piutes and Navajo are failing. Rations in the Mormon settlement are growing thin as white settlers attempt to thrive in their new settlement.

When white pioneers nestled in Native American territory, tensions mounted between the Utes tribe, pioneers and Mormon settlers. The Mormon colonization of Utah caused other complications for the Native tribes as well. White settlers brought with them a plethora of deadly diseases to which indigenous tribes had no immunity. These diseases—smallpox, bubonic plague, measles and yellow fever—claimed countless Native lives—a battle in which they could not win.

Thus began the longest and most destructive war between Mormon pioneers and Native Americans in Utah history. With pioneers and settlers moving, starvation and disease ravaged the Native community. Finding food sources became a battle of survival and the Utes tribe was looking for any way to provide nourishment to their loved ones. Black Hawk, (who’s Ute name was Antonga), a sharp-minded warrior chief of the Utes with brilliant tactics and mormon settler Brigham Young, a religious zealot and political leader eventually came head to head in a battle which would leave devastation in its wake.

The war began when Black Hawk stole two cattle from LDS settlers to feed his hunger-stricken community. This angered the Mormons who already had strained relations with the Utes. Tensions flared up when a drunk Mormon settler pulled a young chief down from his horse, igniting already inflamed tensions between rival parties. Black Hawk threatened revenge, a promise he intended to keep.

The dispute threatened to plunge the region into chaos as it grew into a reflection of the larger issue of colonial displacement: indigenous tribes were fighting to take back land and resources that were theirs, and white settlers were trying to hold on to what they believed to be their rightful new land.

Black Hawk continued to steal livestock from white settlers. In 1865 alone, he stole more than 2,000 heads of cattle. Although his objective was to steal livestock to butcher for food, Black Hawk did kill frontiersmen in the process—including travelers and herders that attempted to stop him. An estimated 70 settlers were killed, over the course of his multiple raiding expeditions. Not every native tribe in the region was on Black Hawk’s side, however. Even so, he did manage to unite a number of warriors from the Utes, Paiutes and Navajo tribes, creating a loose faction of Native American warriors.

The Mormon settlers also formed their own army, and pursued Black Hawk and his warriors through wild terrain. However, because Black Hawk knew the terrain far better than the settlers, the group was unsuccessful in capturing him.

The Mormon community was already under scrutiny by the federal government in Washington for their religious beliefs—in particular their belief in polygamy, as well as their ultimate goal of establishing a theocracratic community. Because of this, Brigham Young was, at first, unwilling to ask for federal assistance. He feared bringing the federal military into the war because of how antagonistic the capitol government has been towards his people. Because of this,the Black Hawk War of Utah became a “secret war,” both sides keeping their violent activities under wraps and out of sight of federal authorities: A bold fight to see who could outlast their opponent.

Although the Mormon settlers were determined to end Black Hawk’s raids with their own strength of arms, they often failed. The elusive Utes chief continued ravaging Mormon settlements for cattle and livestock to feed the hungry. The settlers militia could not keep up with him, and often murdered native people that had nothing to do with the war—including families—unable or uncaring enough to discriminate between tribes.

Brigham Young eventually requested assistance from the U.S. military, but his call for help was initially ignored. For two years, the war raged on until, in 1867 when Black Hawk declared a ceasefire with the Mormons. In 1868, Brigham Young and Black Hawk signed a peace treaty with hopes of a new beginning. Shortly after, in a tragic twist of fate, the federal military assistance initially requested by Brigham Young showed up in the form of 200 U.S. troops. The soldiers caused more raids on local tribes, increasing unnecessary casualties. Finally, in 1872, the bloody war came to an end.

Two cultures, one land—fighting for their freedom. What would you do when it comes to the survival of your people? Would you stake claim to your land, traditions and beliefs or would you abandon everything? These are difficult choices that were amplified during the colonization of the west.