"To Build up the Morals of the Tribe": Southern Ute Women's Sexual Behavior and the Office of Indian Affairs, 1895-1932

This article explores attempts of Office of Indian Affairs (OIA) agents on the Southern Ute reservation in southwestern Colorado to use Southern Ute women to "reform" Ute sexual and marital practices, as well as Ute women's responses to these efforts. While preaching the importance of Indian women as a force for tribal moral "improvement," OIA personnel also made women's sexual behavior the focus of punishment and coercion. Coming from a cultural tradition that allowed them complete control over their sexual choices and activities, however, Southern Ute women resisted the OIA agenda. Even in the face of harsh sanctions, Southern Ute women asserted autonomy over their sexual behavior and often thwarted the OIA's campaign. Attempts to contain Southern Ute women's sexual behavior reflected stereotypes about the sexuality of women of color, and were part of a larger pattern of concern over women's sexual conduct during this period.