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population of the Colorado Utcs in an area about one-third tltc size of Colorado. The <br />reservation boundaries were defined as the 107th degree of longitude on the cast, a line I S <br />miles north of the dOth parallel of latitude on the north, the western border of the Colomdo <br />Territory on the west, and the southern border of the Territory on the south (Rockwell <br />1956:72). An agency for the Northcm Utc bonds was established on the White River near <br />the prescnt site of Meeker. Another was to have been established on the Los Pinos River, <br />but the Tabeguaches insisted that it be located on Cochetopa Creek instead. Since this <br />agency was so distant liom tlic Southern Utes, flay continued getting supplies at !heir <br />established agency in New Mexico. <br />In the first years of the I870s, gold and silver discoveries in the San luaus <br />precipitated another rush onto Utc lands--lands promised by the United States to remain <br />forever in possession of the Utcs by the Treaty of 1868. Despite clforts by government <br />troops to keep the prospectors and miners out, they poured into the mineral-rich areas of the <br />reservation (ibid.:96). Great political pressure was brought against the government to <br />negotiate another treaty whereby the Utcs would relinquish the gold- and silver-laden <br />mountains. A meeting was held in August 1872 where, under the leadership of the <br />'fabeguache spokesman Ouray, the supposed negotiations turned into a moral victory for the <br />Utcs, as treaty violations and other injustices were pointed out to the government <br />corn-mission. The commission returned to Washington without a new treaty. <br />• l~hc following year, another commission convened. Anew treaty was agreed upon <br />and the Utcs ceded their rights to the San Juan country to the United States. The Utes <br />relinquished most or all of the prescnt counties of San Miqucl, Dolores, h7ontezuma, La <br />Plata, Archuleta, Ourey, I linsdale, and San Juan but kept their rights to most or all of the <br />present counties of Rio 131anca, Garlield, Mesa, Delta, and Montrose, as well as parts of <br />Gunnison. Pitkin, and Cagle Counties (ibid.:99). In 187, the Los Pinos Agency (originally <br />on Cochetopa Creek, renamed Los Pinos Crcck) moved to the Uncompahgre Valley 12 miles <br />south of prescnt Montrose, and rescrva-lion activity began to center in this area. <br />I laving retained hunting rights on their ceded lands, the Utes continued to roam <br />throughout westem Colorado aticr the Treaty of 1873. Many, particularly those in the White <br />River country, were very bitter about Ouray's giveaway of their lands to the whites, and <br />plans were begun to overthrow I~im (ibid.). As more and more settlers poured into the <br />region, hostilities between the Utes and whites intensified. <br />In 1875. the Reverend GH. Danlorth was appointed agent at the White River <br />Agency. l le introduced farming among the Utcs, a program which they greatly disliked. In <br />the spring of 1878, Nathan C. Meeker replaced Danforth as agent (ibid:l I I). Events <br />occurring during Mcckcr's ill-tilted administration of the White River Agency precipitated <br />the final resolution of the struggle between the Ulcs and whites in westem Colorado. <br />Mccker's insensitivity to the Utc people :md the bclligcrcncc of the Utcs toward him resulted <br />• 15 <br />