Honoring Indigenous Histories of the Salt Lake Valley
Before Salt Lake City became known for its mountains and Mormon history, this land was—and still is—home to Indigenous peoples who have lived here for thousands of years. Long before Euro-American settlers arrived, the Salt Lake Valley was inhabited by the Goshute, Ute, and Shoshone peoples—communities who cultivated a deep, reciprocal relationship with the land.
These tribes are part of the larger Numic-speaking peoples of the Great Basin, who lived in tune with the seasons. Their lives centered around hunting, gathering, and careful stewardship of the ecosystems that sustained them. The freshwater streams, wetlands, and the surrounding Great Salt Lake and Wasatch Mountains offered rich sources of nourishment—fish, roots, seeds, and game—and held spiritual and cultural significance.
The Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation, Skull Valley Band of Goshute, and Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation all have ancestral ties to this region. Though each group has its own traditions and language, they are also connected through centuries of trade, intermarriage, shared lands, and eventually, through their collective experiences of colonization and displacement.
In 1847, the arrival of Mormon settlers under Brigham Young marked a stark turning point. Despite the land being clearly inhabited and cared for, settlers declared it “empty” and divinely promised. What followed was a period of land seizure, broken treaties, forced removals, and acts of violence—including the 1863 Bear River Massacre, in which U.S. troops killed over 250 Northwestern Shoshone people. These acts caused immense loss, both of life and land, and forever altered the lives of the valley’s original stewards.
Today, the Indigenous nations connected to the Salt Lake Valley remain active and resilient. They continue to assert sovereignty, revitalize cultural practices, and fight for land, water, and political rights. Yet, their stories are too often left out of the broader narrative of this region.
At RMC Counseling, we acknowledge that the land we occupy was taken through violence and colonization. We cannot talk about healing without also talking about historical trauma—and the ongoing impact of displacement and erasure. As a practice rooted in care and integrity, we honor the legacy and presence of Indigenous peoples in this region.
We invite our community to do the same: to learn, to unlearn, and to support the self-determination of Native nations. Healing begins with truth.
Resources for Continued Learning:
Utah Division of Indian Affairs: Utah’s American Indian Tribes
Knack, M. C. Boundaries Between: The Southern Paiutes, 1775–1995
Madsen, B. D. The Shoshoni Frontier and the Bear River Massacre
Simpson, L. B. The Great Basin: People and Place in Ancient Times
Written by: Maria Vachlon