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Show DES- SMORE] NORTHERN UTE MUSIC 25 HABITAT.- The Uinta and Ouray Reservation, where the material comprised in this book was collected, is located on a high plateau, north of which rise the Rocky Mountains ( pi. 2, a, b). Sagebrush is the only native vegetation except along the courses of the rivers and streams that descend from the mountains ( pi. 2, c, d). v One of the canyons, known as White River Canyon ( pi. 3, o), was the early home of the White River band. The Uinta band are scattered, then-name, which undoubtedly was given them in some other locality, suggesting a preference for somewhat open country rather than the canyons. The members of the Uncompahgre band at the present time live about 30 miles south of the mountains along the Green River. DWELLINGS.- Tipis covered with elk hide were said to be the early dwellings of the Utes, buffalo hide being used when it became available. Thatched dwellings were used by those too poor to have tipis and appear to have been commonly used by all the tribe during the summer. A dwelling of this type photographed by the writer ( pi. 4, a) was identified by an officer of the United States Army as the type of dwelling which prevailed among the Utes in 1888, when he was stationed at Fort Duchesne. Log huts are extensively used . as winter abodes at the present time, a typical summer camp being shown in plate 4, b. TEMPERAMENT.- The Utes have never been a war- like tribe, yet they are a people of great tenacity of opinion. This has repeatedly brought them into difficulty with the Government. In contrast to this underlying tenacity, they seem characterized by quick transitions of mood concerning matters of less importance. These changing moods are like the brief, sudden storms that frequently occur in their native environment and are followed by sunshine. LANGUAGE.- The Ute is a Shoshonean division of the Indian languages, related linguistically to the Paiute, Chemehuevi, Kawaiisu, and Bannock. It has not yet been studied intensively, but the following material on the subject is available for reference: BARBER, A. E.-" Language and Utensils of the Modern Utes," U. S. Geological and Geographical Survey of the Territories, 1876, vol. 2, pp. 71- 76. CHAMBERLIN, RALPH V.-" Some Plant Names of the Ute Indians," American Anthropologist, vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 27- 40. HARRINGTON, JOHN P.-" The Phonetic System of the Ute Language," The University of Colorado Studies, vol. VIII, pp. 199- 222, Pub. by Univ. of Col., Boulder, Colorado, 1910. KROEBER, A. L.-" Notes on the Ute Language," American Anthropologist, vol. 10, pp. 74- 87, 1908. CLASSES OF SONGS.- The songs recorded among these people are chiefly those of social dances and of war, together with songs used in treating the sick. No attempt was made to enter on a detailed study of the Sun dance nor of an undetermined religious dance, |