The Bear River Massacre: A Shoshone History

Darren Parry's The Bear River Massacre recounts a trauma experienced by a people who have largely gone ignored, told with honesty and tenderness - it's a devastating read I strongly recommend. I wasn't entirely certain what to expect, but after hearing Darren Parry's interview on Richard Ostler's Listen, Learn, Love podcast back in June, I already knew I wanted to read his book.Parry begins with a somber yet heartfelt recollection of the life of his grandmother Mae Timbimboo Parry, the stories she shared, and the way she lived; a brief overview of the Shoshone themselves; and of one of their noteworthy leaders, Chief Sagwitch.While I was under no illusion that Native American history and culture goes largely untold in American schooling, while reading Parry's stories of his people, I realized (perhaps being more naive than I'd like to admit) that even when acknowledging the traumas inflicted upon the Native Americans, even in academic settings, the narrative never goes much deeper than detailing the crimes (eg, Andrew Jackson's forcible removals of Natives from their lands). The actual stories and histories of these people, as Parry remembers from his time as a student, have gone entirely untold.It was hard not to feel a deep love for the people Parry writes about; the overview is understandably brief, yet, coming from a man sharing his heritage, Parry's knowledge of and love for his people is obvious. The book has no table of contents, which left me uncertain of what comes next in each chapter. At first I didn't like that for a non-fiction book, but ultimately I found myself riding the prose like a calm river, letting it carry me, instead of using it as a reference merely. Without knowing what to expect next, no overall plan to distract me, I found myself reading Parry's prose more closely. There are a few typos here and there, and yet those, combined with the conversational spirit of Parry's writing, made me feel even less like I was slogging through an academic piece on a mere topic of interest, and instead like I was sitting around a campfire (a setting Parry mentions fondly), listening to the author tell a story of real people I could have met had I lived in that era. His writing possesses all the personality of a private journal, rather than the dry didacticism I've found in more academic reports, making this not merely a history of the Shoshone, but of the author's people.It was an odd feeling to read about the Mormon settlement of the area, how Chief Sagwitch attempted to receive them, and how Mormons like Heber C. Kimball did not respond in kind. Chief Sagwitch's virtues truly shine through in this, but equally so do the mistakes and outright violence of many Mormons. Having been raised Mormon myself, it was fascinating (albeit morbidly) to hear a side of Mormon history I'd never heard before; I have a complicated relationship with the LDS Church, enough to hear this untold part of its history, but Parry's recounting nonetheless left me pensive and melancholic. It left me wondering about how we can wreak havoc, even trauma and violence, on one another, not despite ourselves, but while thinking we're in fact serving the greatest good (following God, etc.). Even so, reminiscent of the inner strength of Chief Sagwitch, Parry himself appears unafraid of sharing the pain and suffering of it all, yet lacks resentment and righteous indignation. Even as such a personal piece, Parry's primary interest is clearly to inform and share, which I believe he accomplishes. Part of me applauds that forgiveness and mercy, while another part of me remains melancholic, ruminating on what suffering Chief Sagwitch and generations of Shoshone since must have had to process to reach such a generous place.The Bear River Massacre is a short though not at all easy read. Each chapter has left me feeling like I'm sitting in the eye of a storm, watching in utter silence as literal centuries of stories and their accompanying emotion whirl all around me. It's a true experience, for which I'm grateful to both Darren Parry and BCC Press for producing.As a side note: you can donate to the Boa Ogoi Cultural Interpretive Center as they raise funds for a permanent facility at the site of the Bear River Massacre, where they can restore the area and educate visitors on the Shoshone, their culture, and history.

Short, concise, personal, relatable, direct, painful yet inspiring. For more than a century and a half, the story of the massacre that occurred in the northern reaches of the territory known as Deseret, has been either ignored as inconvenient or told by those who perpetrated it (or their descendants). Not surprisingly, at the commemoration site of the massacre there stands a monument and a couple of signs informing the passerby of the 'battle' that occurred there, so many years ago.For the Shoshone people still living today whose family members were massacred, this telling of the events did not match their story; their reality.Darren's book is the first time that one of those descendants has taken the time to relate a Shoshone perspective on these events.Not spending time on a thousand historical data points, Darren gets right into the heartbreaking reality that exposes the Shoshone side of the story. While also exploring the reality that the Northwestern Band of Shoshone are still present among us today.This narrative is incredibly important for continuing understanding of the American West, conflicts resulting from colonization and why our current histories have always missed the mark.Darren's is a watershed book that begins our hearing the stories of all native peoples.Definitely a must read!

Over the last decade, I have gladly spent a lot of time and energy reading and writing about Native American law and history. I have studied academic subtopics mostly to do with criminal jurisdiction in Indian country and genocides that have been committed against our indigenous brothers and sisters. It is usually dry writing and written by white people.THIS BOOK is not that. It is personal and genuine. It focuses of love and service. It was as if Grandma Mae Timbimboo Parry herself invited me to her table, served me a home-cooked meal, and then told me the history of her people.Well done, Darren Parry. Sir you have given my cynical heart some hope.

This book is an important ethno-historic saga of the Northwestern Band of Shoshone as told from the oral history of the Northwestern Band of Shoshone; written by the Tribal Chairman, Darren Parry. The account addresses far more than the 1863 Bear Creek Massacre (Boa Ogoi). This saga addresses the last 180 years of Tribal history from the critical transition period (1847) of EuroAmerican / LDS Mormon colonization to contemporary times.The narrative is a thoughtful humble account that balances all perspectives in lite of both the difficult and joyous times; and at times, touches on darker hidden past events. The narrative provides the reader with necessary cultural background about the Tribe, Chief Sagwitch, and Tribal Elders oral history of key events. Key events include: Boi Ogoi, LDS conversion, working numerous Church farmsteads, building the 1880 Washakie LDS Ward community homestead at Washakie, the Church’s dissolution and the demolition of Washakie.To me, this book represents a unique Tribal perspective about a Band of Shoshone that engaged in a Divine Covenant with the LDS Church, in specifically Brigham Young and George Hill. In a time when many Tribes sought guidance from the Jesuit missionaries to learn agriculture, implement mission reductions, and ultimately secure Federal title to some of their aboriginal homeland; Chief Sagwitch placed his faith in a revelation and sought out the LDS Church member, George Hill. While not openly stated, Chief Sagwitch was clearly a Prophet of his People that exhibited Christ-like values and a comparably Christ-like simplistic subsistence gathering and fishing livelihood.In 1873, Young instructed Hill to work with Sagwitch to facilitate LDS conversion and a community homestead / farmstead that supported economic, religious, and schooling activities. In 1880, after moving three difficult times, Washakie became the final primary homestead for the Tribal families and the LDS Washakie Ward was born; a native congregation.The following are my own conclusions upon reading the book. The modern LDS Church bureaucracy must have known that they were in a unique situation when decisions were being made to sale Washakie. The Church bureaucracy must also have realized that Washakie was a historic farming community comprised of numerous houses, church / school buildings, farmlands, a canal, and a graveyard; one of which has currently been recommended NRHP eligible. That the Church’s Articles of Faith uphold obligation to the Federal / State law; so should the church ensure that its guilty members are charged by both Church and State law accordingly for the losses suffered by its congregation.The Church also may not realize the sacrifices Sagwitch and his congregation of Tribal families made and endured by making a Covenant with the Church and not the Federal Government. Typically, during the Reservation-era, Tribes ceding aboriginal homelands received Federal monetary compensation and agricultural equipment to facilitate transitioning from subsistence gathering to farming their Tribal owned Federal trust lands. Washakie was the Northwestern Bands legacy community homestead / farmstead a homeland thought to have been titled to the Tribe under the care of the LDS Church. That LDS Church bureaucracy broke their covenant when they decided to sale the homestead and deliberately dismantle the community and burn the historic hand hewn houses and personal property. What a tragedy and horrible loss for everyone. Family livelihoods were lost. That Tribal families decided to acquire Federal recognition in 1978 to acquire land title to a fraction of aboriginal lands makes sense. I only hope that the Church was part of this resolve and is still respective of an important but fragile relationship.

This is a wonderful, heartfelt story, much of it told by Mae Timbimboo Parry and retold to us by the author, her grandson Darren Parry. I loved the authenticity of the storytelling and felt like I was there listening with Parry’s ancestors. The story of the Bear River Massacre was heartbreaking. The true power of the story wasn’t the horror of the massacre but the courage and bravery of the survivors as they live today and continue to tell their stories truthfully, not blaming anyone in hopes that they may be able to teach their children and repair the damage done to their tribe. The Northwestern Shoshone tribe continues to grow in faith and courage today. Making history reclaiming their lands rightfully and legally. An immense undertaking and Darren Parry stands at the head of this tribe telling the story of his ancestors and working hard to find ways to keep their voices and stories resounding into the future. This is the best Utah history I’ve read and I would recommend this book be integrated into Utah History Curriculum.