History - Chief Ouray

It is repeated in oral history passed down by the elders, of the glorious clear night of November 13, 1833, when a magnificent display of the Leonids meteor showers streaked across the black winter night. The elders had believed it was a sign; a message from above of good things to happen.

It was on this night Ouray was born, a product of two separate tribes, joined in unity by the miracle of birth. The elders knew this child was special and groomed him for the great task he would later be entrusted with.

Indeed, Ouray proved to be a very unique Indian. Raised as an Apache (his mother's tribe), a traditional practice, his father was a well-respected Ute. His childhood was spent near Taos, New Mexico, where he mastered the Spanish and English languages with ease, and attended Catholic Mass regularly. His broad education prepared him for later life. His intellect would impress the great white leaders of Washington D.C., as well as his own people. As a young teen, Ouray joined his father’s Ute tribe, where he was groomed by the elders to their envisions.

By 1850, the young Ute warrior had watched the invasion of the white man tread upon his people’s land, and realized the Ute Indians were loosing their land and way of life. For the next ten years, the young warrior watched and learned the ways of the white man and, realizing his people needed a friend in the white man’s world, Ouray befriended one of the greatest white men of his time, Army scout and Indian agent, Kit Carson. The two would become life-long friends; each compelled to aid the other. Through this friendship, the young warrior, who would soon become chief of his tribe, led the movement to seek peace with the White Men.

In 1860, Ouray was not yet thirty years of age, when he became chief of the Uncompahgre Ute Indians. The respect he had gained among the Utes, due to his character and ability to lead, proved to be a power in dealing with the white man. The signs from above on the night of his birth were now at work.

A keen, observant man, Chief Ouray quickly learned the politics of the White Man. Chief Ouray chose the diplomatic approach, rather than a war with the white man, as the government worked to take his people’s land. He began a war with words. On March 2, 1868, he struck a deal with his friend, and Indian agent, Kit Carson. The Kit Carson Treaty gave some six million acres of land to the Utes. In return Ouray and his people were guaranteed "no one would pass over the remaining Ute land."

"We do not want to sell a foot of our land that is the opinion of our people. The whites can go and take the land and come out again. We do not want them to build houses here." - Ouray

An exception added to the agreement was that roads and railways, including his beloved and sacred hot springs area, known as Manitou to the Utes, would be authorized on the Ute land. Wanting peace, Chief Ouray agreed.

For over a hundred years, the Utes had journeyed to the sacred hot springs during the summer months. There, the Indian rituals, ceremonies, and spiritual dances renewed the tribe for the circle of seasons. They enjoyed hunting in the mountains and fishing in the streams. Many of the passes through the area were originally explored and used by the Ute Indians, including the great gateway pass that today bears the chief’s name. Several tribal reunions and gatherings were held in the area we now call Woodlawn Park. These were celebrations of family and unity, as it was the yearly gathering of a tribe who roamed the area known as Ute Indian Territory. For a time, Chief Ouray’s people were happy and free, despite the encroachment of the white men.

By 1859, Gold had been discovered in the Colorado Ute Territory and the government pushed the Indians aside, once again. The Utes for their part had dealt in good faith. Now they were confined to a reservation. "The Utes Must Go", was the headline in Harpers Weekly, October 30, 1879. This followed after the Ute uprising known as the Meeker Massacre at the White River agency, despite Chief Ouray’s urgent pleas for peace among his people. The result was that the last of the Ute tribe was forced onto another reservation in Utah, and out of Colorado for good.

In the summer of 1880, Chief Ouray and his wife, Chipeta, journeyed from their beloved summer camp, to the Southern Ute agency at Ignacio. Their intent was to negotiate once again with the white man. Ouray completed the journey, but not the mission. Suffering from what the doctor's called Brights Disease, Ouray arrived at Ignacio, a very sick man.

On Tuesday, August 24, 1880, Ouray died. Within the hour, his body wrapped in blankets and placed on an Indian pony, was escorted to a secret burial location, as was the Indian custom. Those who buried Ouray included Chipeta, Buckskin Charlie, Colorow, Naneese, and John McCook, (Chipeta’s brother,) among others. Decades later, his remains were recovered and reinterred in great ceremony.

The Denver Tribune obituary read: “In the death of Ouray, one of the historical characters passes away. He has figured for many years as the greatest Indian of his time, and during his life has figured quite prominently. Ouray is in many respects...a remarkable Indian...pure instincts and keen perception. A friend to the white man and protector to the Indians alike.”

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