THE STORY OF 'STAR WATCHER'

By U. Michael Welch, Daily Record September, 1992 THE INDIAN ON FREMONT PEAK

Many years ago, Indians from various tribes came to our beautiful vale during the time of winter. They would bathe in the hot springs; find suitable shelter and plentiful game. During those times, an uneasy peace prevailed. They would camp away from each other and try to ignore each other.

Once upon a time, it happened that a large band of Utes arrived and camped near the river. A few days later, a small band of Blackfoot came into the area and camped some distance from the Utes. This small band was hungry, having had difficulty hunting game. The dancing deer appeared to scorn their arrows and spears, the few buffalo snorted and ran from them. Some of the braves, however, noticed meat hanging in the trees near the Ute encampment.

That night the braves from the Blackfoot camp crept up to the meat and hastily seized some. Gray Wolf, the war chief of the Utes, discovered the theft. He tracked the thieves to the camp of the Blackfoot, and as he returned to his camp, he swore they would all die.

That night, he called his warriors and told them of the theft, adding that every Blackfoot would die for this offense. With folded arms he watched the warriors enter the Blackfoot camp, swinging their tomahawks and spearing sleeping Indians, men, women and children.

He suddenly heard a soft cry. Tracing the cry to a fallen log, he noticed a Blackfoot Indian holding a bundle up to him.

Before he could plunge his spear into her, a Ute mother rushed to the dying Blackfoot. As she caught the baby, the Blackfoot mother whispered to always keep the belt that was around the baby as it would someday save the baby's life.

The years sped by, and the baby grew into a beautiful maid, one listening to the stories told by the Utes around campfires. One tale impressed her — that when an Indian died, he became a star. Almost each night she would sit upon a rock or tree stump and gaze into the heavens until the Utes named her "Star Watcher". She was to be the bride of Running Fox, son of Gray Wolf.

The Blackfoot did not forget the slaughter of their little band by Gray Wolf's band of Utes. Patiently, they waited until the time Gray Wolf and his band camped in the same place as the night of the slaughter.

By night they traveled, quickly and silently, through hill and vale until they arrived in our area. Just as quickly and quietly they fell upon the sleeping Utes. Buffalo Chief stood by, as Gray Wolf had stood, and watched the killing. He noticed an Indian girl crawling towards him holding something in her hand. Suspecting a trick he stepped forward and plunged his spear into her. He bent down and picked up the object she held — it was a belt — the one he had given her so many years ago. He had killed his daughter!

They buried her on the side of a mountain, the one you notice west of our city. As they rode away, Buffalo Chief looked back and cried out. The band stopped and froze in terror as they noticed the mountain had taken the shape of Star Watcher!

From that day they called the mountain "Star Watcher".