OCR Text |
Show LANGUAGE AND UTENSILS OF THE MODERN UTES. BY E. A. BARBER. Each distinct Indian tribe possesses its individual characteristics and peculiarities, different from all others; and, although neighboring tribes may resemble each other in certain mntnal well- established customs, there are always minor points of difference in language, habits, the forms of weapons, or peculiarities of dress; and by these points an individual Indian may be recognized as belonging to a certain tribe, even should the observer be not sufficiently familiar with the savage physiognomy to class him by bis facial characteristic?. Among themselves, Indians possess a remarkable degree of discernment, being able to detect the most minute shades of difference in well- known objects, so that one can determine unerringly to what tribe another may have belonged from the sight of a single impression of a moccasined foot in the soil. So great is their acuteness of vision and proficiency in the interpretation of signs, that they readily distinguish objects and their kind at so great a distance that unaccustomed eyes can discover nothing. To the eye of the inexperienced in such matters, a stone arrow- head, in whatever section of the West it may have been picked up, wonld present the appearance simply of an Indian relic; but when exposed to the gaze of a warrior, it is immediately recognized as having been used by a certain tribe. This is the more wonderful for the reason that stone weapons have entirely disappeared from among them, the stone heads, which were perhaps fashioned more than half a century ago, being now replaced by iron- pointed arrows, feathered on the wooden shaft. The White River and other bands of the Ute tribe herein described, occupy a reservation which, in the words of the treaty, is described thus: Articles of a treaty and agreement made and entered into at Washington City, D. C, on the eeoond day of March, 186eJ, by and between Nathaniel G. Taylor, Commissioner of Indian Affaire,' Alexander C. Hunt, governor of Colorado Territory, and ex- offlcio superintendent of Indian affaire, and Kit Carson, duly authorized to represent the Uuited States, of the one part, and the representatives of the Tabaquaobe, Muache, Capote, Weeminnohe, Yampa, Grand River, and Uintah bands of Ute Indians ( whose names are hereto subscribed), duly authorized and empowered to act for the body of the people of said bands, of the other part, witness: ART. II. The United States agree that the following district of country, to wit, commencing at that point on the southern boundary- line of the Territory of Colorado • here the meridian of longitude 107° west from Greenwich erosses the same; running thence north with said meridian to a point fifteen miles due north of where said meridian intersects the fortieth parallel of north latitude; thence due west to the western |