The first formal treaty between the US government and the Nuche, the Abiquiú Treaty was signed in New Mexico in 1849 and allowed the United States to build forts in the San Luis Valley and have free passage there for its citizens. In return, the US government promised to protect Utes from American hostility and teach them how to farm. The treaty was poorly understood from the Ute side, as leaders viewed it as a temporary peace agreement instead of a radical commitment to abandon their land and centuries-old ways of life.