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Show canyons and higher bench areas of both rivers are associated with significant spiritual values. Disturbances to either of these canyons and their higher bench watercourses might very well raise serious concern and even provoke dissension among Northern Ute tribal members. In the center is the Coyote Basin and Coyote Basin Pond area, a region where certain locations have specific and highly placed cultural and spiritual values but where others are either unknown or elicit very little concern. In the west, the Yellowstone and Lake Fork rivers, along with their drainage systems, do not display the same amount of ecological diversity, nor do they appear to have the same degree or variety of cultural uses. There are select but important cultural uses associated with them, however, and these need to be carefully weighed and considered. As far as could be determined, most of these did not involve any major, overriding spiritual concern. 2. i Whiterocks River: Its Canyon and Watercourses The Whiterocks River, along its canyon and high bench locations, covers an area with many different sites of cultural value. Not only do these include the largest number and variety of " choice" spots for the procurement of resources put to practical and/ or sacred purposes, but they also involve places that are " off- limits" and should not be disturbed for spiritual reasons. Unlike the Uinta River area, which makes up an integral ceremonial corridor along much of its potentially impacted route, places of cultural value that follow the Whiterocks River are more discontinuous. Nevertheless, the disturbance of culturally sensitive sites along this river must be avoided 2. LA Flora Resources The canyon and high bench areas of the Whiterocks River and its adjoining canal until the point it crosses the state road to Tridell is an important and varied plant gathering area. Indeed, it outranked all of the canyons and higher bench areas in the reporting of " choice" locations for gathering various plant species. In total, the favored sites of nine different plant communities are reported along this river and its general environs. Important patches of berries are located here that are currently used by the Utes. Whiterocks Canyon and regions along the Whiterocks River just below it are considered among the best locations for chokecherries ( Appendix A. 1.3) and raspberries ( Appendix A. 1.6). In addition, blueberries/ elderberries ( Appendix A. 1.1), buffaloberries ( Appendix A. 1.2), serviceberry ( Appendix A. 1.7), and strawberries at higher elevations ( Appendix A. 1.9) are collected here. Elderberries ( A. 1.5) and sumac berries ( Appendix A. 1.8) are likely located in this canyon as well, 13 |
