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| Utes (Jim Bush and John Tyler) in full gala dress in 1875 |
Ute people are part of Indigenous Peoples of the Great Basin, and gave their name (which means "Land of the sun") to the state of Utah. There are three Ute tribal reservations: Uintah-Ouray in northeastern Utah (3,500 members); Southern Ute in Colorado (1,500 members); and Ute Mountain which primarily lies in Colorado, but extends to Utah and New Mexico (2,000 members). Ute language is related to the Southern Paiute language and belong to the the Numic branch of the Uto-Aztecan language family.
Prior to the arrival of Mexican settlers, the Utes consisted of numerous nomadic bands, which occupied significant portions of what are today eastern Utah, western Colorado, and parts of New Mexico and Wyoming. Like other Plains Indian tribes the Utes were skilled warriors who specialized in horse mounted combat. War with neighboring tribes was mostly fought for gaining prestige, stealing horses, and revenge.
The Ute experience with European-American settlers is similar to that of many other Native American groups: competition, confrontation and eventual coerced relocation to reservations. Of particular interest are the Walker War (1853–54) and Black Hawk War (1865-1872) in Utah. On the other hand, the Ute sometimes allied with the United States in its wars with the Navajo, for example in 1863, and with the Apache.
The Northern Utes are exceptional artists and produced extraordinary examples of religious and ceremonial beadwork, unusual art forms, and designed and decorated weapons of war. They have integrated peyote religion into their culture; its artistic and expressive influences pervade their art and rich cultural and ceremonial objects. In springtime, the Utes hold the Bear Dances, and in mid-summer is held the ceremony known as the Sun Dance.
About the stamps
The first two stamps are part of the definitives series American Design (2002-2007), about which I wrote here.About the third stamp, featuring a portrait of George Washington, I wrote here. The last two are part of the series Songbirds, about which I wrote here..
References
Ute people - Wikipedia
Sender: Denise
Sent from Greenvale (New York / United States), on 21.04.2014
Photo: William Gunnison Chamberlain / 1875
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