A-ca-nee-a Robert Burch

Robert was a Southern Ute man of the Mouache band

Biography:

Research Notes:
-Susan Burch in her book "Committed" suggests that the father of Jane and Susan is Steve Burch and Ruth Bent. The name Steve did not show in Southern Ute census reports until 1912, and that was the first year that Ruth Bent was identified as his wife. Before 1912, all federal and Indian census reports said the father was Robert Burch and the mother See-pe-on Mary NN (Burch).
-In the 1900 census Ruth had one child Catalina and sister Lucy? was the mother to Mary and Susie! Robert still had children with Mary, ie Helen...
-In 1904 Robert is shown M age 51 with children Ida, John, Ada, Samuel, and William. Ruth Bent is shown as F age 29 with children Mary Bent 14 and Susie Bent 15
-In 1906 Ruth Bent was identified as Head with two children Francis B Burch age 2 and Sarah B Burch age 14 = b. 1892
-in 1908 Ruth Bent is shown as Robert's wife with Sarah, John, Ada, and Samuel as children, but these except Sarah were children of Mary who stopped being shown as Robert's wife in 1901.
-in 1912 Ruth Bent is shown married to Robert (and aka Steve is shown in the Indian name column), with son Samuel by Mary.

Conclusion: Given that in the Indian census's the Burch and Bent surnames are on the same page or immediately before or after, it leads to the conclusioin that the families were geographical neighbors. It appears that Robert and Ruth Bent had relations as early as 1892 that produced on female child named Sarah Burch. According to both Indian and federal census reports Robert burch was married to Mary from 1897 through 1900, and still having children together namely Helen b. c. 1900. Mary disappeaers from census reports in 1901, and in 1904 and 1906 Ruth Bent had children by another husband. In 1908 Ruth Bent appears as wife of Robert Burch, and again in 1912. From this I conclude that Robert had two wives, first Mary from c. 1880, and secondly Ruth Bent beginning c. 1908. Roberts given name was A-ca-nee-a and appears that way from 1895 - 1912. In 1912, in the Indian census, the name "Steve" appears in the Indian name column following A-ca-nee-a, as well as Robert appearing the the English name colume. From where the name Steve comes has not been identified by sources.

In the book "Committed" by Susan Burch, the author says that Roberts children were by parents Steve Burch and Ruth Bent, which is contradicted by census documents (see below), jane and Susan wer the daughters of Robert and Mary.

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Sources:

1892 Jun 30 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:WN4X-9QPZ : Wed Oct 04 15:12:49 UTC 2023), Entry for Ruth Bent, 1890, pg. 469/508, line 133-138, census of the Southern Utes (Moaches), Southern Ute Agency, Colorado

1894 Jun 30 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4KX6-6C3Z : Wed Oct 04 06:21:29 UTC 2023), Entry for Peachig A Vity Ruth Bent, 1897, pg. 62/576, line 136-142, census of the Southern Ute Indians, Southern Ute Agency, Colo.

1895 Jul 31 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4KFH-VBPZ : Thu Oct 05 09:37:54 UTC 2023), Entry for Wo Pi Ur Cu Na Get Jane Burch, 1897, pg. 112/576, line 135-141, census of the Southern Ute Indians (Moaches)

1897 Jun 30 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4KC4-8BZM : Thu Oct 05 09:45:22 UTC 2023), Entry for Wo-Pi-Ur-Cu-Ne-Get Jane Burch, 1897, pg. 181/576, line 265-272, census of the Allotted Southern Ute Indians, Ignacio Sub-Agency, Colorado

1898 Jun 30 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4KFH-Z32M : Wed Oct 04 23:58:02 UTC 2023), Entry for Wo-Pi-Ur-Cu-Ne-Get Jane Burch, 1897, pg. 241/576, line 244-251, census of the Allotted Southern Ute, Southern Ute Sub-Agency, Colorado

1899 Jun 30 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4KCS-JYMM : Thu Oct 05 02:06:20 UTC 2023), Entry for Wo Pi Ur Cu Ne Get Jane Burch, 1897, pg. 284/576, line 235-243, census of the Allotted Southern Ute Indians, Ignacio sub-Agency, Colorado

1900 Jun 7 - "United States Census, 1900", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MSRJ-YW5 : Thu Oct 05 04:47:43 UTC 2023), Entry for Robert Burch and Mary Burch, 1900, pg. 896/935, line 21-29, census of Southern Ute Reservation, La Platta County, Inagico sub-Agency, Colorado

1900 Jun 30 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4KXK-K7ZM : Thu Oct 05 01:38:19 UTC 2023), Entry for Wo-Pi-Ur-Cu-Ne-Get Jane Burch, 1897, pg. 321/576, line 250-258, census of the Allotted Southern Ute, Ignacio Sub-Agency, Colorado

1901 Jun 30 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4KK6-KCN2 : Wed Oct 04 16:38:29 UTC 2023), Entry for Wo-Pi-Ur-Cu-Ne-Get Jane Burch, 1897, pg. 380/576, line 247-253, census of the Souothern Ute Indians, Ignacio sub-Agency, Colorado

1903 Jun 30 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4KFZ-ZS2M : Wed Oct 04 21:39:25 UTC 2023), Entry for Wo-Pi-Ur-Cu-Ne-Get Jane Burch, 1897, pg. 449/576, line 244-249, census of the Southern Ute Indians, Ignacio Sub-Agency, Colorado

1904 Jun 30 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4KFS-SLMM : Thu Oct 05 00:07:23 UTC 2023), Entry for Wo-Pi-Ur-Cu-Ne-Get Jane Burch, 1897, pg. 496/576, line 256-261, census of the Southern Ute Indians, Ignacio Sub-Agency, Colorado

1905 Dec 12 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4K22-KTN2 : Fri Oct 06 11:10:25 UTC 2023), Entry for Jane Burch, 1897, pg. 517/576, line 237-242, census of the Southern Ute Indians, Southern Ute Agency, Ignacio, Colorado

1906 Jul 1 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4KF4-GJT2 : Thu Oct 05 06:39:11 UTC 2023), Entry for Jane Burch, 1897, pg. 536/576, line 237-242, census of the Southern Ute Indians, Southern Ute Agency, Ignacio, Colorado

1907 Jul 1 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4K2N-YFMM : Tue Oct 03 21:51:36 UTC 2023), Entry for Ruth Bent, 1897, pg. 545/576, line 10-13, census of the Southern Ute Indians, Southern Ute Agency, Ignacio, Colorado

1908 Jul 1 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4KFS-7L6Z : Wed Oct 04 04:51:28 UTC 2023), Entry for Ruth Bent, 1897, pg. 500/576, line 10-11, (marriage of Robert and Ruth Bent) census of the Southern Ute Indians, Southern Ute Agency, Colorado

1909 Jul 1 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:49Y4-SQW2 : Wed Oct 04 20:59:58 UTC 2023), Entry for Peachigavitz Ruth Bent, 1909, pg. 7/323, line 8-9, census of the Southern Ute Indians, Southern Ute Agency, Colo.

1910 Jun 30 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4Q6F-5RMM : Thu Oct 05 15:28:05 UTC 2023), Entry for Peachigavits Ruth Bent, 1910, pg. 29/323, line 8-9, census of the Southern Ute Indians, Southern Ute Agency, Colo.

1912 Jun 30 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:43VK-PJ6Z : Tue Oct 03 23:54:21 UTC 2023), Entry for Sawwapeget Susan Burch Allen, 1912, pg. 73/323, line 13-14 (aka Steve, wife Ruth Bent), census of the Southern Ute Indians, Southern Ute Agency, Col.

1915 Jun 30 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4952-7D3Z : Thu Oct 05 08:41:28 UTC 2023), Entry for Phillipe James Allen, 1915, pg. 144/323, line 9-11, census of the Southern Ute Indians, Southern Ute Agency, Colo.

1918 Jun 30 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:49P6-NMZM : Sat Oct 07 00:34:54 UTC 2023), Entry for Ruth Bent burch, 1918, pg. 215/323, line 8-9, census of the Southern Ute Indians, Southern Ute Agency

1920 Jun 30 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4SMT-D33Z : Fri Oct 06 06:05:30 UTC 2023), Entry for Teachigavitz Ruth Bent Burch, 1920, pg. 257/323, line 7. census of the Southern Ute Indians, Southern Ute Agency,

1923 Jun 30 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:49P3-1NT2 : Tue Oct 03 03:20:22 UTC 2023), Entry for Teachigavitz Ruth Bent Burch, 1923, pg. 308/323, line 66, census of the Southern Ute Indians, Southern Ute Agency, Colo.