Ute

The Ute are a southwestern Native American tribe within the Numic or Shoshonean language family. They call themselves the Nuutsui or Nuciu, which translates as “the people.” Traditional Ute territory covered parts of Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah, where many Ute still reside. The Ute shared many characteristics of the traditional nomadic Plains Native American culture. Many modern Ute still reside on the Uintah and [Page 2130]Ouray Reservation located near Fort Duchesne, which is among the largest of the U.S. reservations, while others live off-reservation.

The seven original bands composing the Ute were the Capote, Mouache, Parianucs, Tabeguache, Unitah, Weeminuche, and Yampa. These bands often intermarried but were not governed by a central tribal organization. Male chiefs governed the different bands. The traditional Ute lifestyle was seasonally nomadic, subsistence-based, and largely reliant on hunting and gathering. The men were the traditional hunters and warriors, while the women were the traditional gatherers and were responsible for childcare and the household. Food sources included deer, antelope, elk, buffalo, rabbits and other small game, birds, fish, insects, roots, pine nuts, seeds and seed grasses, and fruits.

Many Western Ute lived in wickiups, a type of round or cone-shaped dwelling, whereas Eastern Ute generally lived in cone-shaped tepees. Their nomadic lifestyle and potential danger from raids encouraged mobile camps that were easily packed, moved, and reestablished. Clothing consisted of fringed deerskin dresses and shirts, breechcloths, leather leggings, buckskin shirts and moccasins, and yucca fiber sandals. Hair remained long unless cut for mourning, and facial tattoos and face painting was common. Tools and weapons included bows and arrows, spears, shields, and nets made of bone, stone, wood, and animal hides.

Ute social organization centered on extended family groupings, and the bands practiced polygamy. Their religious beliefs, like those of many Native Americans, were animistic and polytheistic and based on a strong respect for the natural environment, and animals such as the bear were worshipped. The Bear Dance and Sun Dance were key religious and social ceremonies. Artistically, the Ute were known for their baskets, pottery, and beadworking. Ute history was preserved orally.