The History of Colorado Indians
Colorado was once dominated by Native American tribes. With many tribes calling the land that is now Colorado home at one time or another, the history of Colorado's Native Americans is quite diverse. Major tribes like the Ute, Shoshone, Apache and Pueblo controlled parts of the land. The Navajo and Comanche tribes also had territory that stretched into Colorado at one point or another over the past thousand years.
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Ute
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The Ute tribe first inhabited the Colorado Plateau more than 300 years ago. In 1500, the tribe was in control of much of the Four Corners area that includes a portion of southern Colorado. The Utes were able to utilize horses, obtained from Spanish colonists, to increase their trade and military prowess. However, the tribe members resisted attempts by Mormon settlers and the U.S. army to turn them into an agricultural society during the 1800s. They were forcibly placed on reservations in southern Colorado in the early 1900s.
Apache
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The Apache tribe has lived in the southwestern United States for more than 1,000 years. Although they were successful hunters, the tribe was also one of the first in the region to develop agriculture. The Apaches had a history of especially violent conflicts with U.S. authorities, led under famed leaders such as Geronimo. Conflicts between the U.S. army and the Apache nation were some of the bloodiest in the history of westward expansion. However, they were ultimately unsuccessful and were forced onto reservations by the late 1880s.
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Shoshone
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The Shoshone were wide-ranging tribes people who settled in current-day Wyoming, Colorado, Idaho and Utah. Shoshone tribeswoman Sacajawea, a guide for the Lewis and Clark expedition, is one of history's most famous Native Americans. The tribe had a small population of approximately 8,000. Although they are still not a federally recognized tribe, they, like other tribes from the Colorado area, were forcibly placed on a reservation in the early 1900s.
Pueblo
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The Pueblo's ancestors, the Anasazi, are recognized as the first tribe to ever inhabit the area that is now known as the southwestern United States. The Pueblo were masters of their arid homeland. They made houses of adobe brick and learned how to farm the land. However, eventually drought and conflict with Spanish and American settlers took toll on this proud tribe.
Other Tribes
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Other tribes that sometimes inhabited parts of the region that is now known as the state of Colorado include the Navajo and Comanche. These wide-ranging tribes controlled land all over the Southwest at various times in history.
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- Photo Credit Green Mountain Falls
