Southern Ute Drum (2024)

FAQs

Does the Ute tribe still exist? ›

Today, the Mouache and Caputa bands comprise the Southern Ute Tribe and are headquartered at Ignacio, Colorado. The Weenuchiu, now known as the Ute Mountain Utes are headquartered at Towaoc, Colorado.

Ute Indians do not have formalized beliefs when it comes to religion but their beliefs are very important to them. They believe that the concept of power is obtained through dreams, visions, or from mythical beings. Religion is based on more of an individual level rather than as a group.

Although there were some peaceful periods shared between the two groups, the Utes looked upon this opportunity for war with the Navajos as a chance to improve their economic standing, especially since their eastern territories in Colorado had been invaded by gold miners in 1859.

The Ute call themselves Nuche meaning “mountain people.” They call their language Nuu-a-pagia. The word “Ute” is apparently a corruption of the Spanish word Yutas, which is possibly derived from the term Guaputu.

The language of the Aztecs is related to the Ute Amerindian tribes of the western U.S. Thus the Aztecs were descendants of the second migration from Asia whereas the peoples of the Valley of Mexico were descendents of the first migration. Thus the Aztecs were doubly alien in the Valley of Mexico.

The legend of the skin-walkers is not well understood outside of Navajo culture, both due to reluctance to discuss the subject with outsiders, as well as what Cherokee Nation academic Adrienne Keene says is a lack of the necessary cultural context the stories are embedded within.

The traditional date of the war's commencement is 9 April 1865 but tensions had been mounting for years. On that date bad feelings were transformed into violence when a handful of Utes and Mormon frontiersmen met in Manti, Sanpete County, to settle a dispute over some cattle killed and consumed by starving Indians.

The principal animal foods of the Ute were buffalo, elk, deer, and rabbits. The buffalo were chased on horses. The small part that buffalo played in the diet is attested by the fact that when a buffalo was killed, the meat was divided in small pieces among all the band.

Indian Head

Represents the tribe as a person, a very “Colorful Man” with the colors of red, yellow, black, blue and white representing all of the colors of nature.

The Navajo, on the other hand, at first thrived as a result of their contact with Europeans, becoming great handlers of livestock. When harsh conditions began to threaten this way of life, the Navajo also warred with the Spanish and, of course, with their traditional enemies, the Apache.

Did the Ute tribe have any enemies? ›

Formerly allies, Comanches and Utes became enemies by 1750; around the same time, Utes and Spaniards became friendly with one another.

Ute Tipi. By the early 1800s, most Indians in Colorado lived in tepees. They were made of buffalo or elk hide and tall poles. The tepees in this photo were part of a Ute Indian village.

The Tabeguache Ute's name for Pikes Peak is Tavakiev, meaning sun mountain. Living a nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyle, summers were spent in the Pikes Peak area mountains, which was considered by other tribes to be the domain of the Utes. Pikes Peak was a sacred ceremonial area for the band.

The name Comanche is probably from a Southern Ute word meaning "enemy," or more generally "stranger" or "other." The Comanche called themselves numunuu and spoke a language related to that of the Shoshone of Wyoming and Idaho.

Belief in water babies, supernatural beings that lived in springs, was widespread among Great Basin Indians. Ghosts and souls were real and feared. Charms for various purposes were also common. Several Christian religions Currently have followings among the Utes as does the Native American church.

Ute reservation boundaries were repeatedly reduced during the period, especially after the Colorado Gold Rush of 1858–59. Following the 1879 Meeker Incident, in 1881 the White River and Uncompahgre Utes were forcibly removed to reservation lands in eastern Utah.

About the Utes

They operate their own tribal government and oversee approximately 1.3 million acres of trust land. The Utes also operate several businesses including a Super Market, Gas Stations, Bowling Alley, Tribal Feedlot, Uinta River Technologies, Ute Tribal Enterprises LLC and Water Systems.

Few Ute people are left, and they now primarily live in Utah and Colorado, within three Ute tribal reservations: Uintah-Ouray in northeastern Utah (3,500 members); Southern Ute in Colorado (1,500 members); and Ute Mountain which primarily lies in Colorado, but extends to Utah and New Mexico (2,000 members).

The Utah Utes are the intercollegiate athletics teams that represent the University of Utah, located in Salt Lake City.