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Show CHAPTER I The First Encounters The Utes were an unusual tribe of Indians. They were few in number, perhaps 12,000 at the most, and probably fewer than that. They occupied a vast area which covered most of the stat'es of Utah and Colorado along with a substantial portion of northern New Mexico. While a portion of the land they occupied was bleak and barren, some of it was rich and had very heavy yields of game. The Utes were hunters and gatherers. As hunters, the Utes used areas far beyond their borders, especially in the plains area around the eastern arc of their residency area. The game which formed their principal subsistence included large game such as elk, deer, bear, antelope and buffalo. A wide i variety of smaller, animals were also a part of their diet, as well as trout, berries ; and a variety of seeds. They were skilled at using plants as medicines, as were most American Indians. The language of the Utes is of the Shoshonean branch of the Uto-Aztecan family; it has linguistic relationship to other tribes along the western arc of their residency aj*ea. Lowie notes that the origins of the Utes are probably to be found west of their known areas, perhaps in southeastern California. Both R. H. Lowie and A. L. Kroeber |