Steamboat Springs dedicated a new statue by an Indigenous artist on Thursday as part of a Ute heritage celebration.
Get top headlines and KUNC reporting directly to your mailbox each week when you subscribe to In The NoCo.
“The Northern Ute Bear Dancers” was carved in limestone by Oreland Joe, Sr. It depicts tribal members participating in a springtime ceremonial dance. The living tradition is shared among the three Ute Tribal Nations and represents renewal, strength and seasonal change.
According to a Ute story, a bear taught the dance and its songs to the Indigenous people of the Yampa Valley.
Today, the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and Ute Mountain Ute Tribe in Colorado, along with the Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation in Utah, maintain deep cultural and historical ties to the region.
Deputy City Manager Kelly Romero-Heaney told KUNC the statue is meant to honor the past, present, and future contributions of the tribe.
“The Ute people have stewarded this landscape since time immemorial, and they are still very present today," Romero-Heaney said. "This sculpture dedication provides the opportunity to reconnect those that are responsible for managing this landscape today with those who have stewarded this landscape for generations.”
The sculpture’s unveiling at Civic Plaza on Thursday was followed by a performance of the Ute Bear Dance and a potluck dinner.
Kim Keith is Executive Director of Steamboat Creates, a co-sponsor of the event. In a statement announcing the event, Keith said, “Public art has the power to bring people together in meaningful and lasting ways. Oreland’s sculpture is not only a remarkable work of art, but also an opportunity to better understand the cultural traditions and living heritage of the Ute people. We’re honored to support storytelling, learning, and connection through the arts.”
