Leader of a Muache band Before 1868, Saphia led a
Muache band, ranging over northern New Mexico with the
Abiquiú and
Tierra Amarilla Indian Agencies, and later over eastern New Mexico. In 1868, when Ouray was the principal chief of the Utes, a treaty was enacted between the Utes and the government that provided land for a reservation in Western Colorado. Other treaties reduced the size of the reservation as more miners and prospectors settled in the area, and Utes from New Mexico were forced to move to Colorado. Ouray designated him the chief of the Muache band of Utes about 1870.
Meeker Massacre White River Utes killed
Nathan Meeker and his soldiers at the White River Agency during the
Meeker Massacre (September 29, 1879). Sapiah led a group of Utes to the agency to rescue women and children and was later called the "Hero of Meeker Massacre". The United States government forced the northern bands of the Utes out of Colorado.
Chief Sapiah was a chief of the
Southern Ute people. He became more influential after
Chief Ouray died in 1880. Sapiah promoted "peace and progress" and taught Utes "the white man's way." He learned English and Spanish. He wanted to coexist with whites, as did Chief Severo of the Capote Utes. He advocated for the education of children on the reservation, and he was troubled by the
isolation of Ute children from their parents and indoctrination of the white language and culture at
American Indian boarding schools in Colorado and New Mexico. Children were subject to unsanitary conditions and made to give up their culture and language. Many children, including three of Chief Ignacio's children, died at the boarding schools. Sapiah became the leading chief of the Southern Utes after Severo died in 1913.
Treaty negotiator After the
Beaver Creek Massacre (1885), the government was pressured to remove all Utes from Colorado. In 1886, Sapiah traveled to Washington, D.C. with
Chief Ignacio, Chief Tapuche of the Capote Utes, and Indian agent C.F. Stollsteimer at Ignacio of the
Southern Ute Indian Reservation. They agreed to relocate from Colorado to southeastern Utah, but the treaty was never ratified, so most of the Southern Utes remained on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation. Land for the Utes was divided up by the government in and after 1894 under federal law. The Weeminuche Utes, led by Chief Ignacio, were assigned the
Ute Mountain Ute Reservation, and the land was shared by members of the band. The eastern part of the reservation officially became the Southern Ute Indian Reservation and was divided up amongst Muache and Capote tribal members in 80- and 160-acre parcels. Sapiah met five or seven United States presidents in
Washington, D.C., including
Benjamin Harrison (1889–1893) and, with his son Antonio,
Theodore Roosevelt (1901–1909). He attended
Theodore Roosevelt's
1905 Inaugural Parade and rode with
Geronimo. In 1890, he was given the
Rutherford B. Hayes Indian Peace Medal by President
Benjamin Harrison.
Rancher and farmer Sapiah established a sheep and cattle ranch and farm on his allotted 160 acres. He was successful, in part due to financial incentives given to leaders by the government until the early 20th century. ==Later years and death==