True Locals

I sat at the gondola plaza in Aspen today and looking around I saw a sight not usually seen.
Instead of the fur ruffled lace up ski pants and the big boots that look like bear feet, (well actually, I did see that)
I saw several dark skinned people adorned in feathers and intricately beaded headdresses and costumes.
It was the Northern Ute Indians coming from Utah and parts of Colorado to share with us some of their cultural traditions.
We saw the jangle dance, the chicken dance, the hoop dance and a whole bunch of other dances.
All of these dances have some kind of meaning behind them and have been happening for many, many years on the reservations, and before that in places like Aspen.
We don’t much pay attention to the Utes these days unless we are shopping for skis at The Ute Mountaineer or grabbing a burger at The Ute Grill.





Unfortunately, the Utes, like most Native American tribes, were moved out of their homeland years ago
as the settlers moved in.
Some tribes are faring far better than others (The Southern Utes, for example, are doing quite well from oil and gas royalties). The sad truth is, the reservations in America are full of problems, from diabetes to alcoholism to depression.
Luckily, there are still many Native Americans practicing their cultural tradition and even showcasing them to the world.
I had a chance to talk to some of the Utes after their presentation and they were very happy to visit Aspen.
One father told me some of the children are sticking around and learning the dances and ceremonies of the elders.
He said if they grow up with it, as many of them do, it doesn’t matter if they leave the reservation, it is always with them.
There is no doubt that the Natives that I saw here today are more “local” than anyone here in Aspen.

As they said at the end of their performance, “We are glad to be home.”

Welcome home