The Utes: A Forgotten People by Wilson Rockwell is a comprehensive study of the Ute people of Colorado, combining historical research, firsthand interviews, and documentary evidence to chronicle their history, culture, and interactions with Euro-American settlers. Drawing on extensive sources, Rockwell provides detailed accounts of Ute life, political struggles, and the major treaties that shaped their land and rights.
The book includes numerous photographs, maps, and reproductions of treaties, making it both a scholarly reference and a visual record of Ute history. It has become a foundational resource for historians, anthropologists, and writers studying the Utes, serving as the primary reference for subsequent works on the subject. Rockwell’s careful documentation and narrative style make the book an authoritative account of a people often overlooked in American historical narratives.
This work highlights the Utes’ resilience, cultural continuity, and the impact of displacement, providing readers with a rich understanding of one of Colorado’s earliest and most significant Indigenous communities.