Confederated Ute Indian Lands by Gerald T. Hart is a detailed ethnohistorical study examining the land claims and territorial history of the Confederated Bands of Ute Indians in the American Southwest. Published in 1974 as part of the American Indian Ethnohistory series, the volume brings together historical research, ethnography, and legal documentation to analyze the origins, use, and eventual loss of Ute lands under United States expansion.
The book focuses particularly on Ute territories in present-day Colorado and surrounding regions, exploring how mining booms, settlement, and federal policies led to land cessions and disputes. It includes historical analyses of treaties and agreements, documentation presented before the Indian Claims Commission, and cultural studies of different Ute bands, including those of the Uintah and White River areas. By combining legal records with anthropological insight, the work provides a comprehensive account of how Ute land ownership was interpreted, challenged, and contested in both Indigenous and federal frameworks.
