Walkara

Walkara
Walkara, painted by Solomon Nunes Carvalho
Born1808
Died1855 (aged 47)

Chief Walkara (c. 1808 – 1855; also known as Wakara, Wahkara, Chief Walker or Colorow) was a Northern Ute leader of the Utah Indians known as the Timpanogo and Sanpete Band. He had a reputation as a diplomat, horseman and warrior, and a military leader of raiding parties, and in the Wakara War.[1]

He was the most prominent Native American chief in the Utah area when the Mormon Pioneers arrived in 1847.[2] One observer described Walkara in 1843 as: "the principal ruling chief... owing his position to great wealth. He is a good trader, trafficking with the whites and reselling goods to such of his nation as are less skillful in striking a bargain."[3]

In 1865, some ten years after his death, the Timpanogo agreed to go live on the Uintah Reservation under Chief Tabby-To-Kwanah and merged with the Northern Shoshone. Walkara is often referred to as Ute, but this is incorrect. Ute is a blanket name for many tribes.[citation needed] The Shoshone have cultural and linguistic heritage as part of the Numic branch of the Uto-Aztecan language family. Walkara is Shoshone and his name, Walkara, means Hawk, in Shoshone.[4][5]

  1. ^ Utah History To Go The Walker War, State of Utah
  2. ^ "Chief Walkara". Monuments and Markers Database. Utah Division of State History.
  3. ^ Kelley, Tina; MacKay, Kathryn L. "Walkara". Utah History Encyclopedia.
  4. ^ "Our Timpanogos Ancestors". Timpanogos Tribe.
  5. ^ "Interesting Black Hawk war factoids 1847 1872".

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