Federal Government; Indian/White Relations; Livestock; Mormons; Children; Education; Land Rights; Posey War; Allotment; Water Rights; Indian Agency/ Reservations
Place names
Allen Canyon; Blanding; San Juan County; Utah
Tribe
Paiute; White Mesa
Description
Superintendent McKean traveled from Blanding to hear the conflict between white settlers and the Paiute/White Mesa Utes. Posey and his band had stirred up some trouble, and McKean's advice to stop the conflicts was to give the Indians their own land with suitable resources so they could sustain themselves instead of relying on the white settlers provisions.
Publisher
Digitized by: J. Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah
From Supt. McKean to Comm. Burke April 9, 1923 - Page 1
Description
3- 1142
Ux., anu. Piute DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
xrouble at
- - i.- v nr, a in M'n UNITED STATES INDIAN SERVICE
Consolidated Ute Indian Agency
Ignacio, Colorado. April 9, 19E3.
r^ he Honorable,
^ he Commissioner,
My dear Mr. Commissioner:
I have xhe honor to submit the following report regarding
the recent Indian xrouble in and aboux Blanding, UXah. This report
would have been submixxed before but illness prevented me from
doing so.
I lefx Ignacio March 2l. I wenx ' by xrain end sXage xo
Cortez, where Mr. Heed, Principal of Ute Mountain School, met me
and we proceeded by automobile xo Blanding, reaching xhere xhe
afternoon of xhe 25d. I found considerable excixemenx exisxing
all xhrough that country, and pickets were posxed around on xhe
ouxskirxs of Blanding, xo prevent, as was claimed, other renegade
Indians coming to Blanding and affecting a release of prisoners
held.
I found seventy- nine Indians, men, women, and children
being held as prisoners in xhe casement rooms of xhe public
school. These prisoners were guarded by several depuxies all
having Winchesters. It ' was necessary for xhe school auxhorities
xo dismiss xhe school in order xo have xhe building xo house
xhe Indians. The basement was warmed by a furnace and a stove
and was comfortably warm and xairly well lighxed and ventilated.
The Indians were being well cared xor.
Aboux an hour afxsr my arrival xhe citizens of xhe
xown called a mass meexing ax which I was invixed xo be present
xogeXher with several correspondents of xhe Associaxed Press.
Immediately after xhe. meeting was called xo' order the chairman
invixed me, as a representative of xhe Indian Office, to tell
xhe people what I proposed to do and what relief xhe community
was xo receive from xhe Government. I advised them that I had
just arrived ax Blanding and before making any statements
regarding the action of the Department it would be necessary
for me to aquaint myself thoroughly with all phases of xhe
present xrouble and that more good could be achieved if xhey
would state xheir side of xhe case and their individual views
regarding xhe presenx trouble. This they proceeded to do,
several of the mord influential men going into the past and
present relation between the Mormons and the Indians.
