Volume 6 , Issue 24

Okie's NW Corner

Well! It's been a week of settlin' in to our Stone Mountain Retreat here in SW Colorado Rockies. Duchess loves it! These NW Okies don't melt so much in the cool Rocky Mountain atmosphere where the daytime temps might reach the 80s and the morning and evening temps have you snuggling under the covers. Yes! I am getting some mountain photos for those of you who are interested. When we had a chance, we ventured up to the top of Middle mountain to our favorite spot where the aspens and dandelions form a natural mountain park-like setting.

Our mountain retreat sets a few miles east of Ignacio, Colorado. We arrived up here a week late to experience the Ute's annual Bear Dance. We did do some research to find out "Why" the Southern Ute's celebrate with the Bear Dance. What I found out was, "Origin of the Bear Dance can be traced back to the fifteenth century when the Spanish first came upon the Utes in the spring time.  When the first thunder in the spring was heard, it was time for the Bear Dance.....

The origin of the Ute Bear Dance relates the time when two brothers were out hunting in the mountains and as they became tired, they laid down to rest. One of the brothers noticed a bear standing upright facing a tree and seemed to be dancing and making a noise while clawing the tree. Ute legends or stories remember the time when the elders asked the hunters to go out and gather meat. As they were out hunting, they encountered some small people who ran into the rocks in the hills. They told the elders about them and the elders told them that they were called cliff dwellers which according to archaeologists were called Anasazi, the ancient ones.The one brother went on hunting while the other brother continued to observe the bear. The bear taught the young man to do the same dance and also taught the young man the song that went with the dance....." Check out the Southern Ute Bear Dance and visit the Southern Ute website for more information.

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