Durango semi-weekly herald., 1907-06-10
couRrs4ip AMONG THE uTEs.

The Ute nation consists OF fifteen
distinct tribes. but for many years it
has been divided into three greater
divisions. or these, the Southern
Utes have retained their residence in
Colorado, while the branches known
as the White River Utes and their
kinsmen, the Uncompahgres, have
lived since 1880 on the Uinta reserva-
tion in Utah. The very interesting
customs and laws of the Utes, how
ever, are common to all three divi-
sions. A significant domestic practice
of the people is polgamy. Time was
when IT was much more common than
today, but that was when warfare
| kept the number of braves down and
the women outnumbered the men by
more than three to one.
The men marry at IS, the women
| at from 13 to 16, and If Ute squaw
| remains unmarried at 20, she is treat
| ed as a pariah and stands a very
| good chance of being PIT to deach as
witch before she is 20. Ute mar
riage customs are peculiar. When a
| girl reaches marriageable age her par.
| ents shut her up In the teree, where
she is compelled to fast for four or
| five days. At the end of that time
| invitations are sent to the friends OF
| the family, who gather about the
| tepee, where they are feasted and ther
| all, men and women alike, engage ia
It weird dance, shaking rattles, blow
ing on reed pipes and singing incanta-
lions. The parents feign disgust and
90 frequently to the door aud bid
them disperse.
| commonly practiced procedure is
| to place the maiden on couch of
! boughs over heated stones. Water
is poured upon these stones ind the
victim is given a thorough steamiug.
After that she is led to the river fer
a plunge and is then considered
worthy of a husband. Tie courti'.g
time is ordinarily during the harvest
ing of the Utes' greatest crop, the
mesquite bean. The young man ap-
proaches the father of the maiden
humbly and asks the hand of the
laughter. The father Stimulates rage
and orders him away. The youth
obeys, but returns shortly decked out
in his gaudiest feathers, beads and
paint.
1t always happens that the maiden
is alone, whereupon they become ac-
qainted and then if she is favorable
to his quest, they go for a long walk
or ride together in the woods. When
they return they are considered mar
ried. They at once begin housekeep-
ing in the home of the brides mother.
where they remain until the first child
is born. The young brave then sets
up his own tepee. Divorce among
the Utes is an, easy and informal
process and. consists in the husband
mounting his horse and deserting mis-
wife and family for his own clal. But
there is something of disgrace at
tached to such proceedings and the
buck is not allowed to remarry with
out the sanction of his subchief AMI
this is generally granted only after
the petitioner has performed some
feat of bravery or endurance.
Among the most barbaric and cruel
of the Ute customs is that of the in
fanticide. Ute parents are ordinarily
kind to their children, but crippled
and sickly children are killed shortly
after birth. When twins are born, the
least promising one is put to death
and should one happen to be girl.
she Is always put to death by strangu-
lation. A Ute woman who does not
hiring male children into the world is
looked upon with distain and suspi-
cion. 1t is recalled that the wife of
Chief Gray Rabbit, few years ago,
killed herself because she could not
endure the sneers and ignominy OF
being pointed out as the mother of
seven daughters and no sons.-Field
and Farm.