Ute - An important division of the Shoshoni, closely related to the so called Paiute and the Bannock Indians. The Ute at one time roamed the entire central and western portions of Colorado, parts of eastern Utah, and portions of New Mexico.
The Ute early obtained horses and were a warlike people. While considered hostile to the whites, they were engaged in few of the early wars, since they occupied territory beyond the advancing frontier. But they were noted for their raids on surrounding tribes and Mexican settlements.
The Utes had a custom of handling over all female prisoners to their own women to be tortured, while warrior prisoners who had distinguished themselves usually were set free.
Between the years of 1863 and 1868 the Government assigned to the Ute their own reservations in Utah, Colorado, and new mexico. In 1879 one hundred of them left the White River Agency in Colorado to roam southern Wyoming, but were rounded up after an Indian agent and several others were killed.
The last trouble with the Ute was in 1906 when four hundred of them decided to leave Utah and settle on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. They later surrendered and were sent back to their reservation at their own request.
In 1950 the United States Court of Claims awarded the Ute Indians $31,700,00 in payment for the loss of 15,000,000 acres of their territory when gold was discovered in Utah and Colorado in the 1870's. Not only this, but oil and natural gas have been found on one of their reservations and royalties from leases are constantly being added to the claims fund.
The state of Utah derives its name from the Ute. Utah also is the name of a county and a lake in the state. There is a Utahville in Pennsylvania; places named Ute in Colorado and Iowa; and a Ute Park in New Mexico.
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