FIRST CONTACT Big Idea: the Utes Were Among the First North

FIRST CONTACT

Big Idea: The Utes were among the first North American tribes to acquire horses from the Spanish, a new technology that transformed Ute life in ways that continue to reverberate today.

UTAH FUTURES VIEW

Section Intro

First Contact The Utes were among the first North American tribes to acquire horses from the Spanish. In the late 1600s they became a major conduit for the dispersal of horses to tribes east and west of the Rockies. Embracing the horse’s strength and speed, Utes forged a new way of life that made them powerful and prosperous. They remain proud of their “first contact” with horses today.

(Horse dispersal map captions)

Hernán Cortés brought fifteen horses to Mexico in 1519, reintroducing the animals to their North American homeland. Over the next 150 years, horses spread north with Spanish explorers, missionaries, and settlers.

Spanish law forbade trading horses to Indians. In 1680, the Pueblo Indians revolted and drove the Spanish out of New Mexico. With the Spanish departure, large numbers of horses became available to Indians for the first time.

The Utes captured horses that escaped from Spanish settlements in the mid-1600s. By the late-1600s, they owned many horses and helped introduce them to other tribes.

Scarce winter forage and cold temperatures limited the northward expansion of horses among native peoples.

Mindset

Powerful new technology Horses opened a host of new opportunities for Utes to increase their wealth, comfort, and political power. They enabled Utes to travel long distances in search of buffalo and valuable Spanish trade goods. They transported heavy loads between camps. And mounted on horses, Utes became feared adversaries in battles and raids.

Catalyst for transformation Adopting horses created ripples of profound change in Ute society. To pick just one example, horses increased Utes’ success in hunting big game. With more food, they could gather in larger bands. Larger bands fostered stronger leaders. These leaders were better at organizing raids or forming alliances with other tribes Utes encountered as they ranged farther and faster than ever before—on horses.

Photo credit: National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution, GN 01535

Object ID: Saddlebags ca. 1875 On loan from the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming Chandler-Pohrt Collection, Gift of William D. Weiss

Focus Panels:

Cycle of Conflict Horses introduced greater conflict into the Ute world. Seeking to increase their wealth and influence, Utes often raided horses from the Spanish or other tribes. Some Ute bands also captured Paiute and Goshute slaves to trade for horses. The Utes, in turn, were raided by other tribes seeking a competitive edge in horse power.

Photo caption: Well-armed Utes became expert horse raiders. In a legendary 1840 foray, they drove thousands of horses from ranches in southern California to Utah. Photo: Denver Public Library, Western History Collection, P-68

Object ID: Powder Horn Early 1900s Natural History Museum of Utah

Passion Persists Through the painful transition to reservation life, Utes treasured their horses. They initially kept many horses on their reservation lands and resisted efforts of Indian agents to cull their herds. Horses often took center stage at community events, adorned in beautiful regalia for parades or thundering down a racetrack.

Photo caption: Ute men donned in traditional dress rode their finest horses in the 1925 the Uintah Basin Industrial Convention parade.

Object ID: Beaded Headstall Early 1900s On loan from BYU Museum of Peoples and Cultures

Saddles of the Sexes Ute men and women used different kinds of saddles. With low arches in the front and back, men’s saddles allowed for easy mounting and dismounting. Women’s saddles rose up high in both front and back creating a secure seat and a place to hang bags, or even a cradleboard, when traveling.

Photo caption: Utes adopted new styles of saddles introduced by traders and settlers in the late 1800s. This Ute’s saddle may be of European origin.

Photo credit: Denver Public Library, Western History Collection, X-30353

Men’s saddle ca. 1900 Natural History Museum of Utah

Object IDs: (Quirt) A Ute rider may have used this quirt to urge a running horse down a dusty racetrack. Ute horse races were lively community gatherings. Riders showcased their skills and prized mounts while spectators bet on the outcome of the races.

Quirt Early 1900s On loan from the Colorado Historical Society

(Tipi bag) This bag hung inside a Ute family’s tipi to store their special belongings. Before horses, Utes depended on human and dog power to carry loads. The horse’s strength enabled Utes to own more possessions, including larger tipis.

Tipi bag Pre-1900 On loan from BYU Museum of Peoples and Cultures

(Rifle Case) A Ute warrior may have carried a Winchester rifle in this fringed and beaded gun case. Utes preferred the light, rapid-firing rifles for fighting on horseback because of their ease of reloading and maneuverability.

Gun case ca. 1880 On loan from the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming Adolf Spohr Collection, Gift of Larry Sheerin

(Contemporary women’s saddle) Beadwork, fringe, and tassels of hair from her first Appaloosa decorate Lara Arrowchis-Ivie’s contemporary women’s saddle. Wearing a traditional Ute dress, Lara rides in her saddle for parades and carries the flag in rodeo grand entries.

Women’s Saddle 1999 On loan from Lara J. Arrowchis-Ivie

(Contemporary beaded headstall) Two Ute sisters, Annie and Nadine Lopez, crafted the sunset-colored patterns of beads on Lara Arrowchis-Ivie’s matching headstall and saddle. Ute women have been creating intricate beaded horse regalia since the mid-1700s.

Beaded Headstall 1999 On loan from Lara J. Arrowchis-Ivie

CANYON VIEW

Horse people The ties between Utes and horses run deep. Utes were early pioneers of horse culture in North America in the mid-1600s. Horses became symbols of wealth and part of Ute identity. Utes adorned their horses in beautiful gear and painted them before battle. Presenting a horse to a potential bride’s family was an impressive gift. Prized horses were buried with their owners.

Enduring Bond Horses exert a strong pull in the lives of some Utes today. Ranchers, barrel racers, craftsmen, painters, bronc riders, healers, or simply horse lovers, these Utes continue to pass down tribal equestrian knowledge. They share stories of how horses shaped the lives of their great-great-grandparents. The powerful energy of horses links them to their past and sustains them in the present.

Photo credit: Kirstin Roper, copyright NHMU

Object ID: Women’s Saddle 1999 On loan from Lara J. Arrowchis-Ivie