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Show 1st seflilers in area Editors note: Last of a four part series By George Long They would make treks at times to southern Utah to trade with the Navajo ' Tribes. If you wanted to get your hides tanned, then usually in most cases' they would do it for t They loved to barter and trade, whether it be for trinkets or bead work, hides, knives, blankets, or horses. This was great sport to them. Russell Squire '.; has a beautiful hat band his mother got by trading with an old Indian called Medicine Man. It is very old and kept in a glassed in frame, but not one bead is missing. Also, the Squires still have some of the Navajo blankets that they exchanged things for or bought from the Indians many many years ago. Some of the other Indians living in the area were Little Jim, Red Beaver, Jack Santio, old man Santio, Granma Santio, the Cibulo's, the Pawweenies, the McCooks and even the famous Chipeta in her later years lived at Bitter Creek. There were of course, many, many others. Old Santio as Mrs. Hazlebush and Russell Squire put it was very old and considered very wise. All the people out there knew about him. He told Rube Squire who was Russell's father that he had been at Denver, Colo., when there was nothing there, only a cabin and some corrals. He would stop occasionally oc-casionally at the different ranches and talk and eat with them, and sometimes stay overnight. He became a familiar sight up and down Willow Creek. Mrs. Hazlebush mentioned that old Santio believed it was wrong to kill snakes at certain times during the year. She said that she had not given much thought to it, but one day while she and her husband were out riding, they came upon a rattler and her husband kiUed it. When they returned home that afternoon, old Santio was there and telling him of the experience, he became very upset and said they should not have done it, that as a result it would snow that night. Still not giving it a whole lot of thought, they went - about doing their evening chores, had their evening meal and retired for the night. Any chance of snow this late was very remote to say the least. But the next morning she said she was astonished. Believe it or not, there was several inches of snow on the ground. ' Old Santio had predicted right. The Indian people had their share of misfortunes from time to time, but I would like to relate one incident which was told to me by Mrs. Hazelbush. Word came to her and her husband, one day that one of the Indians had been shot and that old Santio wanted them to' come as soon as they could. Upon arriving where the wounded Indian was, they found that the Squaws had already taken care of him. They had removed the clothes around the wound, 1 cleaned him off and then plastered muc -: all over the wound where the shot had i entered his body and where it had emerged out his back. She said they had their doubts about his chance of recovery, but recover he did and live to : be a very old man. - c " " It is only appropriate that we mention Chipeta, no doubt one of the most i . famous and heroic of all Indian women. , - She was born in the Conejo's country c V near the Colorado and New Mexico 'i state line in 1843. She spent her early '. childhood there and later became the - wife of the great Ute Indian Chief 2 1 Ouray. Along with Chief Ouray she did 3 everything she could to promote peace i and good relationship with the whites. '-" : ' One of her greatest deeds was warning r '- people and helping rescue some of the hostages during the time of the Meeker trouble. She spent four vontinuous days and nights riding among the settlers of the area, including swimming the raging Gunnison River on her pony at flood stage. Another of her great achievements was the accompanying of her husband Ouray to our Capitol at Washington, D.C., where they were welcomed at the White House on an official visit and met with the President of the United States. r The President was extremely im-pressed im-pressed with both Chipeta and Chief Ouray and in his comments later stated - of his admiration and high regard of these two great and true American people. Chipeta was 37 years old at this time. It has been said how astonished " si ie was of the huge crystal chandeliers hinging from the White House ceiling. - St"i jixst could not hardly believe her I tyH. There were many other sights L that amazed her beyond her wildest dieiifiiS, toon. Some time after the death of her :. beloved husband, Ouray, Chipeta came to live on Bitter Creek in the Bookcliffs. She passed away on August 9, 1924. Soirittime later, her brother, John McCook gave his permission to have her remains moved to her final resting place near Montrose, Colorado along side those of her great husband. A park J. lias been set aside there in honor of '-' them. The many wonderful deeds these two famous Indians did will live on forever , in Utah and Colorado, Important places -' J of remembrance have been named In their honor, a symbol of their great- ncRs. With this short biography of Chipeta, I bring to a close my story of the Book-cliffs Book-cliffs and Willow Creek area. Some of the people who lived there during this early period have since passed away and most of the others have moved away. Most of the homes are falling into ruin or have long since disappeared. disap-peared. A few concerns now own most of the land. There are no schools or kids to attend them, no get-togethers or overnighters stopping by on their way to more distant regions. Even the old trading post at Ouray is now closed. I feel we have lost something very great as a result. We are losing something every day as the rapid pace .of events in this old world become faster and faster. How fast can it go until it reaches that point that it no longer can endure, no one knows. In talking to those people who had been a part of this history and spent much of their' life in the Willow Creek area, not once did I hear one of them say that they would have exchanged their life or experiences for that of any other. I would like to say that I have never done a story that I have so enjoyed as I have in this one. I hope you enjoy it even just half as much as I've done in bringing it to you. I know I've left out many items of interest that could have only been brought out by someone more familiar and acquainted with this area than I am. It is my feeling that the histories of places such as the Willow and Hill Creek localities should not be allowed to become forgotten. I do not profess to be an expert historian or writer my any means, but I do like to keep accounts and records of the early day happenings of this old Basin intact. Again may I extend my graditute to those wonderful people who gave me their time and assistance to help make this article possible. Thank you. |
