Bear River Massacre
The Bear River Massacre, while it happened across the border in Idaho, is a very important moment in Utah History. Settlers in Cache Valley (a large part of which is in Utah) started to complain to the U.S. military stationed at Camp Douglas (now the UofU ROTC) that there were problems with the Native Americans (the Northwestern Band of Shoshone) steeling their food and animals. This is a great example of a single sided story, but the army didn't wait to get the Shoshone's side of the story, they simply attacked the band of Native Americans, killing hundreds of Shoshone men, women, and children.
Watch this video describing the events from the perspective of a member of the Northwestern Band of Shoshone. His name is Darren Parry and he has served as the chairman of the Northwestern Band of Shoshone.
I usually play the video from 5:30-38:46. I also usually play it at 1.25x speed.
Fill in these blanks /answer these questions as you watch:
“In my culture, nothing is _____________________________________.”
“When an old Indian dies, a ___________________ burns.”
“History is about _____________________________”
What was the name of the Shoshone chief in the mid 1800’s?
What was the name of the colonel who was sent to the Shoshone?
“In commemorating the battle, you forget the _______________ parts of history”
“That narrative now becomes the ________________”
“Which version of the massacre is correct? The answer will always lie in your _______________________.”