The Paiute Indians

The Mountain Meadows Massacre was committed by a group of Mormons in Utah, with the aid of a local tribe of Native Americans, the Paiute Indians.  The Paiutes made their home in Southern Utah, and first encountered white settlers as early as the end of the eighteenth century.  They didn’t come into contact with the Mormons until the 1850’s, at which time they began being oppressed and stripped of their sovereignty.  The Mormons used the Paiutes resources, and destroyed their traditional way of life, but they were generally tolerated by the Paiutes because they helped eliminate the threat of Ute and Navajo raids on the Paiute settlements.  Missionary efforts were made and eventually a peaceful relationship was established.  Many of the Paiutes even loosely converted to the Church of Latter Day Saints.

Upon the arrival of the Arkansas Emigrants, the Mormons from Cedar City (likely led by John D. Lee, Commissioner of Indian Affairs for the territory) enlisted the help of the Paiutes in committing the massacre.  The Paiutes, while known to occasionally raid passing wagon trains, were generally peaceful and initially wanted no part in the murdering.  The Mormons, however, eventually convinced the Native Americans that the Arkansas Emigrants were hostile and would kill any Indians on sight.  This coupled with promises of many head of plundered cattle as well as food and riches led the Paiutes to agree to help.

On the morning of the massacre, the wagon train was attacked predominantly by the Paiutes, as well as Mormons garbed in Paiute style while the bulk of the Mormon party sat on a nearby hill and used rifles to prevent any retreat by the emigrants.  The Paiutes, however would attack and retreat in waves when the wagon train got their defenses about them, as their traditional weapons stood little chance against the gunpowder weapons of the Arkansas Emigrants.  Some casualties were suffered by both sides but nowhere near the approximate 140 emigrants that died by the end of the siege.  On September 11, the emigrants were approached by John D. Lee.  Lee told them that he had spoken with the Paiutes and that they had agreed to cease fire if the emigrants would cede their weapons to the Mormons during peace talks.  This was a ruse and upon the surrender of their weapons the Arkansas emigrants were brutally massacred by the Mormon party.

After the atrocities were discovered by the government, the Mormons attempted to place all blame on the Paiutes, even though they took no part in the actual massacre on September 11^th.  The government saw through their scape goat, however, and the Paiutes received little actual blame while the Mormons involved were indicted.

SOURCES: Walker, Ronald W., Richard E. Turley, and Glen M. Leonard. Massacre at Mountain                Meadows. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008.