Seasonal Rounds | Until Forever Comes

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Seasonal
Rounds

Ute oral traditions describe the seasonal mobility of families as a clockwise route around a central mountain. The mountain-centered seasonal round included the use of a variety of ecosystems, with dispersed winter camps at lower elevations and gatherings of groups at higher elevations during the summer.

“The bands were comprised of families and their leaders made decisions about where to camp over winter. And then in the spring, they’d hold the Bear Dances and council meetings, and they decided which families and which bands would be at certain areas during the summer time, in case there was sickness or raids, then they would know where groups were.”

Alden B. Naranjo Jr. (1941-2020), Southern Ute Indian Tribe

Southern Ute Indian Tribe, Former NAGPRA Coordinator, Southern Ute Indian Tribe, taken from “Bonita Peaks Ethnographic and Ethnobotanical Study.”

To mert (winter)

Tah man it (spring)

Tah tach (summer)

Yu vahn at (fall)

Winter

Larger groups of families gather in sheltered valleys and canyons and live on stored food and nearby resources. Repair tools, clothing, and weapons and tell stories and relate oral teachings.

“Going to Sleep. Terry Knight and Helen Munoz said that Tumut was the Ute Mountain Ute term for winter. Mr. Knight described the middle of winter as tuwikmerk. Ernest Pinnecoose explained that wintertime meant having to 'break the water'—physically breaking the ice on the river to retrieve water for the household. It would also mean gathering snow for water. Ms. Munoz noted that wintertime is the time for telling stories.”

— Bonita Peaks Ethnographic and Ethnobotanical Study

Photograph of Garden of the Gods — Garden of the Gods
*Credit: Zach Vogel*

Photograph of Cheyenne Mountain Storm — Cheyenne Mountain Storm
*Credit: Bret Tennis*

Photograph of Frosty Foothills, Garden of the Gods — Frosty Foothills
*Credit: Bret Tennis*

Photograph of Union Meadows Open Space — Union Meadows Open Space
*Credit: Steve Castle*

Photograph of yellow flowers in Sondermann Park — Sondermann Park
*Credit: Cody Bear Sutton*

Photograph of Bluestem — Bluestem
*Credit: Danielle Wagoner*

Photograph of bird in Ute Valley Park — Ute Valley Park
*Credit: Christian Clark*

Photograph of waterfall in S. Cheyenne Creek — S. Cheyenne Creek
*Credit: David Bowers*

Photograph of White Tailed Deer — White Tailed Deer
*Credit: Cody Bear Sutton*

Spring

Move winter camps up into the foothills. Hunt small game and gather spring plants.

“Tāmān or Temanut, 'things are waking up,' Terry Knight and Helen Munoz provided tāmān and temanut as the Ute Mountain Ute terms for spring. Ms. Munoz explained that thunder in springtime is considered to be the bear rolling in his cave, beginning to wake up, which historically ushered in the Bear Dance. She noted that in recent years, thunder has been heard during winter months and this is understood as climate change.”

— Bonita Peaks Ethnographic and Ethnobotanical Study

Summer

Take camps higher into the mountains. During late summer gather berries and chokecherries, collect minerals and medicinal plants, and hunt deer and elk.

“Tatatch, 'when it is hot,' Summer Terry Knight and Helen Munoz provided tatatch as the Ute Mountain Ute term for summer.”

— Bonita Peaks Ethnographic and Ethnobotanical Study

Photograph of Corral Bluffs — Corral Bluffs
*Credit: Bill Koerner*

Photograph of Ridgeline Trail — Ridgeline Trail
*Credit: David Bowers*

Photograph of Pulpit Rock — Pulpit Rock
*Credit: Brody Bierbaum*

Photograph of Sunset Mesa — Sunset Mesa
*Credit: Josephson Russell*

Photograph of North Cheyenne Canyon — North Cheyenne Canyon
*Credit: Jason Fazio*

Photograph of North Cheyenne Trail — North Cheyenne Trail
*Credit: Hannah Collier*

Photograph of view between Aspens — Aspen View
*Credit: Bret Tennis*

Fall

Move into low valleys and prepare for winter. Follow bison onto the plains for hunting and prepare meat for winter. Collect pine nuts, berries, medicinal plants, and minerals.

“Uvanit, 'leaves are falling,' Terry Knight and Helen Munoz provided uvanit as the Ute Mountain Ute term for fall.”

— Bonita Peaks Ethnographic and Ethnobotanical Study

SeasonalRounds

Winter

Spring

Summer

Fall

Seasonal
Rounds