Utah Historical Quarterly State Capitol, Salt Lake City Volume 2
JULY, 1929
Number 3
UTAH INDIANS AND SPANISH SLAVE TRADE By Dr. Wm. J. Snow, Department of History, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah No history of the great American epic of westward migration frorn the Atlantic seaboard to the slopes of the Pacific border can fail to take into account the Indian. At every stage off advance the native redman has figured prominently in the transformation wrought in his primitive wilderness. This is true of early Utah history as of that of any other section of our country. Indeed Indian references furnish a key to many interesting episodes in the exploration and settlement of Utah Valleys. Hence careful and scholarly attention has been given to this subject in the previous issues of the Utah Historical Quarterly. It will be the purpose of the following article to give other Indian reference and to present in connection therewith certain incidents that furnish a basis for some rather important conclusions. Escalante, the first white man so far as known to enter Utah valleys was much concerned about the conversion of the Utah Indians. This was shown by certain extracts from his journal, given in the July Utah Historical Quarterly. Continuing the journal account we find him and his little band holding September 24 and 25 a two days' conference with the Indians at the mouth of the Provo River. Great interest was aroused and hope held out that the Padres would return and establish missions here. Leaving Utah Lake September 26, the Escalante company went southwest, and on the 30th recorded the following: "Very early there came to the camp twenty Indians, accompanied by those that came in the afternoon of yesterday, all wrapped in blankets. They conversed with us very pleasantly until nine o'clock in the morning, as gentle and as affable as the others had been." w
They are now on the banks of a river they call Santa Isabel. The journal continues: "From this river and place of Santa Isabel these Indians began to wear heavy beards which give them the appearance of Spaniards." On the 29th of September, Esca-