Pres Spacebar

1

The Arapaho and The Ute, Then and Now First
Peoples at Rocky Mountain National Park
By Robbyn Hickman
(Lloyd Burton, Ed.)
, Ed.)
Pres Spacebar
2
On behalf of the PNV Project, my thanks to these
Arapaho elders and their teachings

Charles and Dorothy Gambler Edward and Mary Un
derwood Alonzo Moss, SR. Edward Willow Ho
ward Antelope
Press Spacebar
3
The Arapaho refer to themselves as The Blue Sky
People, and as coming from the Great Lakes area.
Their creation story tells of a man who, with
the help of the creator and the duck, created the
earth and the people from dirt while on a flat
pipe floating on a endless body of water.
Press Spacebar
4
The Blue Sky People would come to
the lands that would one day become
Rocky Mountain National Park for
food, medicine, ceremonies, and
shelter. One source of food found in
the Park was the Elk, who like every
other animal, has its own powers.
For example, a hunter can see an elk
one minute and the elk disappears
the next . . .
Press Spacebar
5
The Blue Sky People are known for their simple
style of clothing. Some of their traditional
adornments and personal belonging were made from
animals and plants they found in the lands that
would become the Park
Press Spacebar
6
This image shows a sweat lodge. The Blue Sky Peo
ple use the sweat lodge for a ceremony of
purification, which brings the mind, body, and
soul into harmony.
Press Spacebar
7
Chief Washakie (Shoshone)
Chief Black Coal (Northern Arapaho)
Before the Park was established, the Northern
Arapaho were forced to move to a reservation in
Wyoming, right beside their sworn enemies, the
Shoshone. The two warring tribes almost
eradicated each other, which may have been what
the United States was hoping for when it put
them together. Instead, these two chiefs came
together with a pipe and made peace. These two
tribes are still living side by side, and in
peace.
Press Spacebar
8
The Northern Arapaho were able to
convince the Walt-Disney Corporation
to help restore and conserve their
language by translating the classic
movie Bambi into Arapaho. So now
the movie can be purchased from the
Northern Arapahos in Arapaho. Sadly,
Disney said it lost too much money on the project
, so this would be the last time it did this for
any tribe.
Press Spacebar
9
On behalf of the PNV Project, my thanks to theses
Ute elders and their teachings

Doyale B. Cesspooch Kesley LaRose Helen Wash
Ardonna Haman Angela Shavanauy Paul Laro
se
Mary Longhair
Marietta Ried Ina Chapoose Marjorie Ridley

Robert Cuch
Press Spacebar
10
The Ute/Uintah People have various
creation stories from how the different
languages came to be, to why coyote
acts the way he does. .
Press Spacebar
11
In many tribes, the coyote is not to be trusted,
for hes the Trickster often playing tricks
on other animals, then sometimes suffering the
consequences.
The purpose of these stories is to teach children
lessons about life, although they will usually
not figure out the lesson until theyre adults.

Press Spacebar
12
What is a Bear Dance? It is a Ute ceremony to hon
or spring, given to the people from the Bear.
It celebrates the great energetic power of awake
ning from hibernation, after the hard winter
in the mountains and high valleys where the
Utes live. It honors that awakening in us all,
as taught to the Utes by the Bear.
Press Spacebar
13
Ceremonial gatherings were also a time for
entertainment. For the Ute/Uintah people one
source of entertainment was gambling, the
best-known form of which is called The Hand
Game. This is a guessing game. The small wood p
egs are called the bones, which are hidden with
in the hidders hands. The main point of the
game is to guess which hand the white bone is in.
The other sticks are the counting stick, which
are the score-keeping system. The player
collecting the most counting sticks wins the pot
of money in the middle.
Press Spacebar
14
Today, youth from many tribes come together
either at the Powwows or in celebration of the
athletic spirit.
The North American Indigenous Games brought
Native Americans from all over the continent in
peace, uniting the tribes, just as the
International Olympics seek to unite the
nation-states of the world
Press Spacebar
15
Powwow Style of Dance
Mens Northern Traditional
Womens Northern Traditional
These Warrior Dances mimics and
shows the great deeds of the Warrior, While the
female show
their husbands great deeds.
Mens Southern Traditional
Womens Southern Traditional
Press Spacebar
16
Mens Grass Dance
Womens Jingle Dress
The Grass Dance and the Jingle Dress
are healing dance from up north, while
the male and female fancy dances
come from Buffalo Bills era because
he wanted some thing flash and contemporary.
Womens Fancy Shawl
Mens Fancy Dance
Press Spacebar
17
Chicken Dance
Smoke Dance
The Chicken and the Smoke dance are old style of
dance to particular tribes but are new to the
powwow circuit.
Press Spacebar
18
The powwow is a social dance which brings many t
ribes together socially. This social comes from
the Omaha Tribe. Now the origin of these dan
ce do come from a ceremonial background and can
still hold power in the dance. We start when
we can start walking till we cannot walk anymore
, but we always dance for the people.
Press Spacebar
19
Now one thing we cannot forget about is our
singers because with out them there is no powwow
and no
ceremony!
Press Spacebar
20
Work Cited www.bbhc.org/exhibitions/ img/windRi
ver_02.jpg http//webhome.idirect.com/mikeha/n
americans/blackcoal.html http//www.nativethrea
ds.com www.tipis-tepees-teepees.com/ beaded_cov
ers.htm http//www.nativeradio.com/prints/ecurtis
/images.cfm?tribeBlackfoot20(Piegan)
ask.nessie.free.fr/ az/hogan.htm www.beaverbr
ook.org/ bbwigwam.htm http//www.arigonstarr.co
m/lyrics_all/meet_the_diva/images/navajo.jpg
http//www.essiac-herbal.com/Ojibwa_Medicine_man
.jpg http//www.ancientwayswest.com/images/Hist
oricIndians1_198x250.jpg http//www.grandfathe
rsspirit.com/native/postcards/176ChiefW
ashakie.jpg http//www.gatheringofnations.com
http//www.poster.net/bambi/bambi-walt-disney-40
00233.jpg http//www.naig2006.com/photogallery
.asp
Press Spacebar
21
The Future
The Future Many challenges now confront Rocky Mou
ntain National Parks well-being, such
encroaching urbanization and ecological
imbalances in its wildlife populations. Many
challenges likewise confront the Arapaho and Ute
peoples, as they work to keep their cultures
alive. The ancestors of modern-day Arapaho an
d Ute peoples inhabited these parklands for
thousands of years, in balance with their
surroundings. Perhaps there are lessons to be
learned from these cultures, on how best to care
for the priceless natural heritage we all share,
which is Rocky Mountain National Park.
Lloyd Burton, Ed.

• Many challenges now face Rocky Mountain National
  Park

22

• The
• End

Press Spacebar