UTE INDIANS BY B. BEATON

UTE INDIANS LIVE IN NORTHERN COLORADO BEGINNING IN AT LEAST 2000 YEARS AGO. UTE COMES FROM UTAH AND IN UTE IT MEANS HIGH LAND OR LAND OF THE SUN. THEIR LANGUAGE IS SOUTHERN NUMIC OF UTO-AZTECANS, AND MOST GREAT BASIN TRIBES SPOKE THIS LANGUAGE. THE UTES INCLUDED MOUNTAIN DWELLERS AS WELL AS DESERT NOMADS.

THE BANDS IN THE EASTERN UTAH HUNTED LARGE GAME, FISHED AND COLLECTED VARIOUS RESOURCES. IN DIFFERENT ECOTONES. THE NORTHERN UTE LIVE ON THE UINTAH RESERVATION. THE SOUTHERN UTES INCLUDED MOUNTAIN DWELLERS AS WELL AS DESERT NOMADS

BANDS IN THE EASTERN PART OF UTAH HUNTED LARGE GAME FISHED AND COLLECTED VARIOUS RESOURCES IN DIFFERENT ECOTONES. THE NORTHERN UTES LIVE ON THE UINTAH RESERVATION. THE SOUTHERN UTE LIVE ON THE RESERVATION NEAR SAN IGNACIO. THE UTE MOUNTAIN UTES ARE DESCENDANTS OF THE WEMIMUCHE BAND WHO MOVED TO THE SOUTHERN UTE RESERVATION..

PRIOR TO HAVING HORSES THEY WERE HUNTERS AND GATHERERS. MEN HUNTED DEER, ANTELOPE, BUFFALO, RABBITS, AND SMALL ANIMALS AND BIRDS. WOMEN GATHERED SEED GRASSES, PINON NUTS, BERRIES, ROOTS, AND GREENS IN WOVEN BASKETS. THEY STORED MEAT AND SEEDS FOR THE WINTER. THEY BUILT BRUSH WIKIUPS IN THE EASTERN TERRITORIES AND THEY USED HIDE TEPEES. THE UTES BECAME IMPORTANT WARRIORS AND PARTICIPATED IN SOUTHWEST SLAVE AND HORSE TRADE, ONCE THEY HAD SPANISH HORSES. MORMON SETTLERS PRESSURED THEM TO SETTLE DOWN AND FAR. THEIR ENTIRE RESERVATION WAS 56 MILLION ACRES.

AN UTE LEGEND

POKOH, OLD MAN, CREATED THE WORLD. HE HAD MANY BLANKETS. HE CREATED EVERY TRIBE OUT OF SOIL WHERE THEY USED TO LIVE. POKOH DID NOT WISH MEN TO WANDER FAR FROM WHERE THEY WERE BORN. LONG AGO SUN WAS A MAN AND WAS BAD. MOON WAS GOOD. SUN HAD A QUIVER FULL OF DEADLY ARROWS. SUN HAS TWO DAUGHTERS AND TWENTY MEN. BUT AFTER 50 DAYS RETURNED TO LIFE AGAIN.

RAINBOW IS THE SISTER OF THE POKAH. LIGHTENING STRIKES THE GROUND AND FILLS THE FLINT WITH FIRE. THAT IS THE ORIGIN OF FIRE. SOME SAY BEAVER'S TAIL HAS NO HAIR ON IT. LIGHTENING STRIKES THE GROUND AND FILLS THE FLINT WITH FIRE. THAT IS THE ORIGIN OF FIRE. PERHAPS IN OUR WORLD TO COME INDIANS MAY WALK ON ALL FOUR LEGS OR THEY MAY CRAWL LIKE SNAKES OR SWIM LIKE FISH.

THE UTE ARE ACTIVE IN THE NATIVE AMERICAN CHURCH AND ARE ACTIVE IN PEYOTE CEREMONIES. THEIR HEALERS USE PEYOTE CEREMONIES. THEIR HEALERS USE PEYOTE TO TREAT INFECTIONS, THEY USE ELK ROOT, TOBACCO SAGE, BEAR ROOT. THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT THE ANCIENT UTES PREDECESSORS ALSO USED PEYOTE.

A BRIGHT SPOT IS THAT THE SOUTHERN UTE STORY BEGAN IN THE 1950'S WHEN FAMILIES BEGAN TO MOVE ONTO WHITE MESA. THEY BUILT FRAME HOUSES. TODAY THEY HAVE 100 HOMES AND 350 PEOPLE. MANY PEOPLE WORE TATTOOS - USING DIFFERENT COLORS FOR WAR PAINT. THEY WERE UNIQUE ARTISTS IN MAKING BASKETS. THEY ALSO MADE INTERESTING HEADDRESSES.