Ute Chief: Walkara/Wakara, aka Chief Walker, aka Colorow

 Walkara was a Northern Ute Chief of the Timpanogo and Sanpete Bands.  He may also have Shoshone ties.  Walkara is the Shoshone word for Hawk.  He was known as a diplomat, leader, warrior and horseman.  He was the chief when the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints entered the Utah area.  He was born along the Spanish Fork River in Utah.  He liked to fish in Utah Lake.  He spoke English, Spanish and Native languages.  He was known as a great horse thief with his brothers, especially in southern California.  There he had conflict with Juan Antonio Cahuilla leader.  Mountain men would trade them whiskey for stolen horses.  

In 1847 the Mormons settled in Salt Lake which was between Ute and Shoshone territory.  Walkara objected to their having a permanent settlement and wanted to drive them out.  However his brother intervened, so the Mormons had peace with the Timpanogo.  Utes were advised not to steal from the Mormons, but some did resulting in retaliation from the Mormons and the death of six men at the Battle Creek massacre.  Walkara supported attacking Fort Utah, but he held negotiations with Brigham Young after which he invited Mormons to settle Sanpete County.  The Utes were helpful to the settlement which was some ways for the next closest settlement.  Walkara and his son were baptized in 1850.  The Utes had a slave trade using women and children and the Mormon community tried to stop this.  This lead to poor relations.  Additionally many nonMormons were traveling through the area and competing for resources.  This resulted in the Walker War of 1853.  The Utes were angry with both the Mormonee and Merikats (terms used to distinguish mormons and nonMormons.  James Alexander Ivie shot several Utes and one later passed away.  The Utes demanded compensation but Ivie felt it was self defense and refused.  The Utes, demanding the death of a EuroAmerican to compensate were denied, so a Ute shot and killed Alexander Keele.  This lead to open hostilities.  Towns were attacked.  Mormon communities became tighter and turned into forts.  Four men were killed driving a ox-wagon from Salt Lake to Manti.  Brigham Young and Walkara negotiated a peace in May 1854.  The underlying problems were not resolved and would blow up again ten years later in the Black Hawk War.  Walkara was rebaptized and many of his people were baptized at this time.  Walkara died in 1855.  

Native American Biographies: Chief Walkara (Shoshone or Ute)

Chief Walkara was chief of the Sanpete, Timpanogos band of Indians.  There is some confusion as to whether this group was Shoshone or Ute.  Walkara means hawk in Shoshone.  This group spoke a mixture of both languages.
Walkara lead his people on a very wide migration.  He was referred to as the greatest horse thief in history.  This was a great honor among Indian people based on a society of stealing horses from one another.  Walkara's travels put him in contact with Spaniards, California Indians, Apache, Navajo and many other groups.  He gained his fame as a great horse theif by stealing many horses from the Spaniards.
With the advent of the Mormon pioneers Walkara favored driving them out of the area.  However the views of his brother, Sowiette won out.  Walkara met with Brigham Young and they negotiated a peace.  Walkara was baptized.
However, subsequent to this there was a disagreement and Walkara was involved in Walker's War.  This name refers to James Walker Ivie who killed several members of Walkara's tribe in a conflict.  This war involved raiding of several Mormon settlements.  Brigham Young asked members to move from outlying farms into forts.  However the War was short lived, and after the war, 120 members of Walkara's band were baptized into the Mormon Church.  Walkara was likely rebaptized.
Walkara died of a lingering illness, likely pneumonia, in 1855.

Sanpitch was a brother of Walkara.  He was also the father of Black Hawk.  His murder in 1866 was one of the things which sparked the Black hawk War.