The first people in North America were the Native Americans. There were many tribes and bands that lived throughout Canada, the United States, and Mexico. One of the tribes that lived in the United States was the Utes. The Utes were natives to the area now known as Colorado and parts of Utah and northern New Mexico. They were a unique people and had a unique way of life.
The Ute Indians lived apart from most tribes. They lived on the plains and in the mountains of an area covering about 150,000 square miles. This land included hunting grounds, places of spiritual importance, and the territories of the seven Ute bands.
The seven Ute bands were known as the Mouache, the Capote, the Weeminuche, the Tabeguache/Uncompahgre, the Parianucs, the Uintahs, and the Yampahs.
It was the band of Yampahs that lived near Steamboat Springs, Colorado. They came to Steamboat because of the area's many natural mineral springs. The springs were very sacred and viewed as a place of healing.
The Utes lived off the land. They hunted the many animals in the area. These included bear, elk, deer, buffalo, antelope, mountain sheep, beaver, jack rabbits, sage hens, geese, ducks, wolves, minks, and more. From these animals they got their clothing and homes.
The Utes lived in tipis. They used twelve to eighteen straight poles and put them in a cone shape. They then covered these with the skins of the animals they had killed.
The Utes were very religious. Their medicine man or shaman was a doctor or healer. The medicine man carried a bag of special things to heal people. Some of the special things they carried in the bag were deer tails, small drums, rattles, and a tiny sack of herbs containing yarrow.
Besides using medicines to cure someone, the Utes also had many dances. One of the important dances was the Bear Dance. The Utes believed that they were very closely related to bears. The Utes called the Bear Dance "Momaqui Mowat". This was a very sacred and honored name.
The Utes had other words for things. They called themselves Yuuttaa. The state of Utah was named after the Utes. They also called horses "magic dogs". This was because the horses seemed like big dogs that magically appeared as a present from the Great Spirit.
Today the Utes don't have Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico to roam in the way of their ancestors. Today, reservations are what most Utes call home.
This page prepared by the students at Steamboat Springs Middle School.
