PEOPLE OF THE SHINING MOUNTAINS

“The People of the Shining Mountains” aptly reflects the enduring spirit of the Ute people and their reverence for the Earth. The Utes were divided into three general groups: Northern Ute, Southern Ute and Mountain Ute. Within those groups were 11 distinct bands, including the Moache, part of the Southern Utes.

The wandering Moache Utes made their journey to northern New Mexico, resting high on a mountainside nestled in the tranquil embrace of the Moreno Valley. They settled in the fertile land that rests between the Sangre de Cristo Mountains on the west and the Cimarron Mountain range to the east. From this time forth, their ancient encampment has been honored as the “Valley of the Utes.”
These Native American mountain-dwellers roamed on foot, guided by the change of seasons and the movement of the sun. Long ago, this fertile valley was a hallowed home to the Ute people and their vibrantly painted tepee villages. During spring and summer, they fished and hunted wild game, harvested corn, wild onions and gathered berries. The mild climate provided plentiful food to nourish their large families throughout the winter.
Throughout the centuries, the original Ute language and rich Native American traditions have endured. Today, many of their ceremonies are still performed much as their ancestors practiced. One legend that arose from ancient times bore a tradition in Ute culture - the sacred Bear Dance. The Utes hold themselves as keepers of the great spirit of the grizzly bear, the king of all beasts. As one Ute story goes, a man fell asleep and dreamed of a bear. Over the course of his dream, he was told that if he went to a high place in the mountains, a bear would provide him with something of great strength.
After he awoke, he traveled to the mountain where he witnessed a bear swaying back and forth. The bear then spoke words of wisdom to the man who listened carefully. The man returned to his village to teach the Bear Dance and song to his people.
The Bear Dance is a social dance performed annually each spring to celebrate the emergence of new life. The rumble of the “morache,” a rasp instrument, emulates the sounds of the first thunder announcing spring and the awakening of the bear from his winter slumber.
Valley of the Utes is a magical place. Still today, her sacred spirit and those who came before are engraved upon untouched mountain chasms, hidden deep within Mother Earth, and echo in the mists of whispering brooks.