Northern Ute culture Ute people

an uncompaghre ute shaved beaver hide painting. northern ute trap beavers, shave images animals stretched , cured hides, , use them decorate personal , ceremonial dwellings.

the northern utes, consisting of whiteriver, uintah, , uncompahgre bands, exceptional artists , produced religious , ceremonial beadwork, unusual art forms, , designed , decorated weapons of war in traditional culture. ute obtained glass beads , other trade items trading contact europeans , rapidly incorporated use religious, ceremonial, , warfare objects.

a northern ute beaded pipebag. pipebag made brain-tanned mule-deer hide, more glass trade beads, , eagle bone. pipebag incorporates sacred symbols of ute: blue fire, yellow fire, green of earth, , hail of thunder beings; motifs of turtle (earth) , moccasin (home), , symbol of red fire , bear, sacred animal of ute.

like southern neighbors, diné (navajo), in 21st century large percentage of northern ute members of native american church. participate in sacred ceremonies use peyote, small spineless cactus. traditional ute healers use peyote treat infections, , variety of other plants, including elk root, bear root (ligusticum porteri), , tobacco sage. ute have integrated peyote religion culture; artistic , expressive influences pervade art , rich cultural , ceremonial objects. there evidence ute have used peyote obtained through trade , other potent ceremonial plants used entheogens since ancient times. examples include dried leaves of larb (a species of manzanita), tobacco sage collected escalante area (a mild hallucinogen when smoked), , potent , narcotic white uinta water lily. tobacco sage brewed tea elk root , root of yellow uinta water lily, , used treat tumors , cancer. (while root of yellow uinta water lily toxic in large amounts, small amounts can used strengthen heart muscle in people heart ailments.).

ute petroglyphs @ arches national park

ute religious beliefs borrowed plains indians after arrival of horse. northern , uncompahgre ute group of indians known create ceremonial pipes out of salmon alabaster, rare black pipestone found in creeks border southeastern slopes of uinta mountains in utah , colorado. although ute pipe styles unique, resemble styles of eastern neighbors great plains. black pipestone used make lethal war clubs, warriors used great effect of horse. ute have religious aversion handling thunderwood (wood tree struck lightning) , believe thunder beings strike down ute indian touched or handled such wood. diné (navajo) belief. there extensive evidence contact between 2 groups existed since ancient times.

each spring ute (northern , southern) hold traditional bear dances. origin of bear dance can traced several centuries. each year, mid-summer fasting , purification ceremony known sun dance held; ceremony has important spiritual significance ute.

an uncompaghre ute buffalo rawhide ceremonial rattle filled quartz crystals. rattle produces flashes of light (mechanoluminescence) created when quartz crystals subjected mechanical stress when rattle shaken in darkness.



an 1900s uncompahgre ute beaded horse bag. bag made brain-tanned mule-deer hide, 30,000+ glass trade beads, , tobacco balls stitched rim , sides of bag protection. these bags used hold sacred religious totems, pipes, , carvings, effigy of medicine horse or medicine buffalo, or other totem of power. bags not opened view contents except during ceremonies or in private. objects associated , used in private prayer , family rituals.

the uncompahgre ute indians central colorado 1 of first documented groups of people in world known use effect of mechanoluminescence. used quartz crystals generate light, hundreds of years before modern world recognized phenomenon. ute constructed special ceremonial rattles made buffalo rawhide, filled clear quartz crystals collected mountains of colorado , utah. when rattles shaken @ night during ceremonies, friction , mechanical stress of quartz crystals banging produced flashes of light partly shone through translucent buffalo hide. these rattles believed call spirits ute ceremonies, , considered extremely powerful religious objects.