Sacred Places: Sleeping Ute Mountain, Ute Reservation, Colorado
Some Native tribes defined their home and hunting ranges in terms of landmarks that had sacred significance. For the Utes, a major landmark of their homeland is a range of mountains in what is now Montezuma County, Colorado known collectively as Sleeping Ute Mountain. This mountain is actually a small range of peaks which collectively take the profile of a sleeping warrior or chief, from a headdress of feathers down to the toes of his moccasins. According to legend, a great warrior, possibly of divine origin, laid down to recover from wounds obtained in a battle and fell asleep. The profile runs on the north-south axis and begins with Marble Mountain, the facial profile and headdress, Black Mountain. Ute Peak forms the warrior's arms folded over the chest. This peak is one of the more easily recognizable mountains in the State of Colorado. Horse Mountain forms the ribcage. Hermano Mountain is the knees, with two smaller peaks forming...