This scholarly work traces the history of the Ute people in what is now Utah from pre-contact times through 1890, a period that ends as federal control over Native lands and governance becomes fully established.
It examines how the Ute tribes lived across a large portion of the Rocky Mountain region, their social and political organization, and their adaptation to environmental and resource changes. The book also focuses heavily on the increasing pressure from Spanish, Mexican, and later U.S. settlers, which led to conflict, displacement, and gradual loss of traditional territory.
A major theme is the transformation of Ute life due to U.S. expansion, including:
- Treaties that reduced Ute land holdings
- Military conflicts and forced removals
- The establishment of reservations, including what became the Uintah and Ouray Reservation
- The transition from independent bands to federally controlled reservation life
The work ends around 1890, marking the period when the Ute people had largely been confined to reservation lands and placed under the full authority of federal Indian policy.