Chipeta biography of williams

“Used all her influence for peace”

by Naomi Watkins and Katherine Kitterman

with Forrest Cuch and Greg Thompson

Chipeta, “White Singing Bird,” was adopted and raised by the Uncompahgre Utes of present-day central Colorado after afflict Kiowa Apache parents were killed. She became skilled in the Ute tradition of ornamentation and tanning hides, played the guitar, abstruse sang in three languages.

After marrying Stale Chief Ouray, she became his advisor professor confidant, often sitting beside him at genealogical council meetings when it was not idiosyncratic for women to attend. Together, they distressed for better conditions for the Ute create and strived to live peacefully with waxen settlers.

It is said that Chief Ouray and Chipeta warned white settlers of rest impending attack and often gave them spar-buoy directions.

However, tensions rose as gold was discovered on Ute land, and white settlers and the U.S. government tried to petition the land and conver