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and western portion of Colorado” (Swanton 1953:372). The Bannock and Shoshone roamed over the extreme northwestern corner of the state (ibid.:370). John Wesley Powell notes the presence of Utes west of the Green River as well, in the Uintas (Powell 1961). According to Athearn (1976:3), the Ute were the largest group in northwestern Colorado, with Arapahoe in North and Middle Parks in conflict with them over hunting rights. Several fights between the Ute and Arapahoe occurred in the Steamboat Springs region. The Ute Yahmonite described a battle ca.1815 in the area now occupied by the hot springs pool. Large numbers of arrowheads were found just west of town, indicating a similar fight took place there, too. “The Arapahoe Indians were the traditional enemies of the Yampatika Utes” (Powell 1972). Shoshone also frequented Brown's Park in the winter. These were Wind River Shoshone, who are similar to Ute linguistically, and there was rarely trouble between them (Farnham 1841). The Ute shared with the Shoshone the reputation of being the strongest and most warlike of the Plateau people” (Swanton 1953:375). J. W. Powell, relying on a study of linguistics published in 1891, noted, regarding the Shoshonean linguistic family: The Washaki occupied southwest Wyoming. Nearly the entire mountainous part of Colorado was held by the several bands of the Ute, the east and southeast parts of the state being held respectively by the Arapahoe and Cheyenne, and the Kiowa. To the southeast the Ute country included the northern drainage of the San Juan, extending east a short distance into New Mexico. The Commanche division of the family extended farther east than any other. According to Crow tradition, the Commanche formerly lived northward in the Snake River region. Omaha tradition avers that the Commanche were on the Middle Loup River, probably within the present century. According to Pike, the Comanche territory bordered the Kiowa, on the north, the former occupying the headwaters of the Upper Red River, Arkansas, and Rio Grande (Powell 1966:85). Powell (1961) noted that the Ute were organized into small bands – Uintah, Wimonuntic, Mowatavi-Watsiu, Mowatri, Kopata, and others, with Uintah predominating. Emmitt (1954) states that the White River Utes called themselves Nupartka. The Ute had secured horses by the 1680s from the Spanish in New Mexico, and ranged from Salt Lake City to Pikes Peak, from Taos to the Green River. They used the river valleys for shelter in the winter and summered in high mountain parks. They were not hostile to whites at first contact, though in the late 17th and 18th centuries they were continually at war with Arapahoe, Commanche, and other plains tribes (Athearn 1976:6). Travel through the territory was certainly more interesting when the Indians moved freely through the area. The early trappers met the danger as best they could, often marrying Indian women, hoping for some measure of security in that arrangement. Apparently Shoshone and Crow women were much sought after by the trappers, though Indian groups varied a great deal in the kinds of arrangements required to secure a bride -- from simple purchase to the necessity for adoption into the culture. Shoshone women could be purchased with ponies and trade goods, and trappers often had their pick of the women 35