| OCR Text |
Show material we had secured already. Had it been earlier in the summer, it would have been possible to wait until a new election took place and a new Business Committee was seated in order to get an access permit extended. However, given that it was already the end of July, an additional wait for a permit to complete more consultations would have made it difficult to complete this technical report in a timely fashion. Consultations took place with five knowledgeable Utes, two women and three men, ranging in age from the mid- fifties to the early eighties. These Utes represented the White River and Uncompaghre bands, and they lived in the areas of Fort Duchesne and Whiterocks. As indicated throughout this report, the lack of consultations with Utes representing the Uintah band and communities ( e. g., Altonah, Myton) on the western side of the reservation is a problem. The material presented in this report that is based on the recent interviews only reflects the knowledge of these consultants. Importantly, it must not be construed as representative of the entire tribe. Nevertheless, we did find a high degree of consistency in reporting the sites of cultural importance in areas under proposed impact. In so far as possible, the interviewers requested information on the knowledge each consultant had about a particular area under impact in terms of how the area is used for fishing, trapping, hunting, and gathering. If the location was employed for any of these activities, the interviewers inquired further about the kinds of resources procured in the area, and they also asked how the site ranked in relation to other spots ( i. e., in terms of intensity of usage and value of resources). Secondly, consultants were asked about whether each locale had any kind of special significance of a social or spiritual nature, and if so what did this entail. Thirdly, they were asked if there would be any problem with the impacts that were planned for a specific site. And finally, they were queried about whether they had any concerns about the locale not already covered. In two cases, the interviews were conducted while traveling to the sites in question. At all locales, attempts were made to confirm and visually identify plants and other features of use and significance to the Utes. 32 |
