John Wesley Powell
(1834–1902)

Although best remembered for his daring exploration of the Grand Canyon, geologist and ethnologist John Wesley Powell also made important contributions to the world's understanding of Native American culture and languages. During the winter of 1868, Powell lived among the White River Utes in what is now northwestern Colorado. His aim was to collect geological data about the area; however, the Utes sparked his curiosity, and by the end of his stay, he had learned their language and compiled a dictionary of Ute vocabulary. Thus began Powell's 30-year interest in Native Americans, and by 1877, he had published Introduction to the Study of Indian Languages.

Unlike most whites of the era, Powell believed that Native Americans had a right to live by their own traditions. The empathy and respect he showed them inspired a warrior of the Shivwits tribe to tell him, "We will be friends, and when you come we will be glad"

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