photo #7109407

A Ute warrior and his dog in the Eastern slope of the Wasatch Mountains, Utah, 1873. The Ute tribe lived in present-day Utah and Colorado, mainly as a hunter-gatherer society for many centuries. They made their first contact with Europeans during the early 17th century when Spanish conquistadors arrived in the region. The Ute tribe began trading with the Spanish in the 1670s and were known for their prized deerskin. Towards the late 17th century, the Utes had acquired horses from the Spaniards, allowing them to be more mobile, covering more ground, hunting larger game, and expanding trade. Horse ownership and warrior skills became highly valued as a status symbol among the tribe. Mormon settlers began arriving in the region during the mid-1800s, increasing tension. The situation was further exacerbated by the gold rush, which began in the summer of 1858. Prospectors and settlers began moving into the area, and as a result, most of the Ute people were forced off their lands and moved onto reservations. The name Utah is said to have been derived from the name of the Ute tribe, which translates to "people of the mountains." Today, most people from the Ute tribe live on reservations located in Utah and Colorado. All the Ute reservations are involved in oil and gas businesses, and some even generate revenue from casinos. Nevertheless, the annual household income of the Ute people is below that of non-native people living in the same region. Unemployment is also fairly high on the reservations as well. @CherokeeOwl 🦉 @BrettColdwell