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Show feet, often along streams in the woods ( Goodrich and Neese 1986: 245). There is another species listed as alpine wintergreen for the Uinta Mountains, Gaultheria humifusa ( Ericaceae), found in moist conifer woods and meadows from 9,000 to 11,000 feet ( Goodrich and Neese 1986: 138). ECOTONE ( 1995: A- 2, A- 10, A- 24, A- 36) reports only the P. asarifolia variety on the reservation, and did not list Gaultheria humifusa at all. Food Uses by Utes: According to Smith ( 1974a: 270), the berries were eaten fresh. None of our consultants are able to substantiate this. Uses by Neighboring Great Basin Populations: The roots of one variety, P. asarifolia, are used to treat liver trouble by the Shoshones of Nevada ( Train et al. 1974: 128). A. 2 BARKS. SAPS. AND BOUGHS Besides trees and shrubs which yielded fruits and nuts, there were those that were valued either primarily or exclusively for their sap, bark, leaves, wood, or boughs. In addition to the cedars ( Appendix A. 1.11, A. 1.12) and pinion ( Appendix A. 1.14) already described, the aspen, cottonwood, ponderosa, and willow continue to be important to the Utes. Some of these trees occupy an important place in the spiritual lives of today's Ute people. A, 2.1..... Aspen.. Tree ( Populus tremuloides, Salicaceae): One Ute name is " so uve" ( Wardle 1969: 11). Reported Locations: Aspen are widespread in the Uinta Basin in canyons and mountain sides from 7,000 to 10,000 feet ( Goodrich and Neese 1986: 263). ECOTONE ( 1995: A- 1, A- 4, A- 8, A- 12, A- 22) reported the aspen in many plant communities on the reservation, including conifer, deciduous conifer, forest riparian, and palustrine/ shrub. Stands of this tree are sited in Whiterocks, Uinta, Yellowstone, and Lake Fork Canyons and along mountain roads at higher elevations. Ute Food Uses: Stewart ( 1942: 251), Garner and Hawley ( 1950: 325), Lang ( 1953: 8), and Smith ( 1974a: 66) report that sap from quaking aspen was collected and eaten. This is also reported by one of the consultants ( 4.2). Ute Medicinal and Ritual Uses: A Ute consultant indicated that aspen saplings are used for shades at the Sun Dance, and most of them are gathered along the Uinta River ( 4.2). This tree was also reported in the ethnographic literature ( Jorgensen 1972: 182) in the building of Sun Dance corrals. Other Uses by Utes: Aspen is one of the woods used for smoking deer meat ( 4.2). Tipi poles were also made from aspen ( Smith 1974a: 37). Other Uses by Neighboring Great Basin Populations: The Shoshones of Nevada use the bark in a tea for venereal disease ( Train et al. 1974: 120- 1). 47 |