OCR Text |
Show Lifeways The lifeways â€" the foods, clothing, shelter, political and social organization â€" of the Ute People went through many changes. There were changes before the People acquired horses and many changes after they did. Later, non-Ute invaders and removal of Utes to reservations forced even greater changes. The Great Basin culture from which the Ute People developed was one based on small family groups. They gathered berries, nuts, roots, and captured small game in sage brush enclosures or by burning off areas of land. They caught fish with reed weirs and barbed arrows. They dressed in grass and rabbit skins and lived in brush shelters. However, the Ute People also adopted foods and techniques from the Indians who lived along the foothills of the Rockies and out on the Great Plains. Like these Indians, the Ute People hunted big game, dressed in moccasins and skin shirts and leggings, and lived in pole tipis. The horse made it possible for more Ute People to enter the Plains to increase their territory and hunting efficiency. They adopted more of the ways of the Plains Indians. The increased food supplies allowed the Ute People to organize into larger groups for longer periods of time. The Family The family was the center of Ute life. The family included not only the immediate members, but extended to uncles and aunts, cousins, and grandparents. Each member of the family had certain duties to perform and was owed certain respect. Grandparents gave counsel and advice based on their years of experience. They also were the main educators of the children. Grandmothers taught young girls how to tan hides, make baskets, gather seeds and berries. Grandfathers taught young boys how to chip flint into arrowheads, how to track animals, and how to catch fish. Grandparents also told the stories and histories of the People. The older members of the family were given great respect. They took the seat of honor opposite the door of the tipi or brush shelter, were the first served, and were the first to speak. |