| Show CHARACTERISTICS OF UTES The Ute nation consists of fifteen dis din distinct tribes but for many runny years It has been divided into three greater divis divisions divisIons divisions ions says the U New ew York Evening Post Of Ot these th s the Southern Utes have re retained retained tamed their thc residence In Colorado while the branches known as the White River Utes and their kinsmen the gres have lived since 1880 on the Uin Uintah UIntah tah tab reservation in Utah The very in interesting Interesting interesting customs and laws of the Utes however are common to all aU three di dl divisions divisions visions There TI ere isa certain appropriate appropriateness ness In their living in Utah from the fact that a 0 significant domestic practice of the people is polygamy Time was when it was very much commoner than it is today but that was when warfare kept the number of braves down and the women outnumbered the th men by more than three to one The men mar marry marry marry ry at 18 the women at from 13 to 16 and if a Ute lute squaw remains unmarried unmarrIed ried ned at 20 she is treated to a pariah and stands a very ery good chance of be being beIng beIng ing put to death as a witch before she is 40 Ute marriage customs are peculiar When a young oung girl reaches a mar marriageable age her parents pate ts shut her up In the tepee where she is compelled to fast for four or five days At the end of that time invitations are sept set out ut to the th friends of the tho family who gather about the tepee where they are all feasted and then all men and women alike engage in a weird dance shaking rattles blowing on reed pipes and sing singing sh singing g ging ing incantations The parents feign disgust and go frequently to the door and bid them disperse A commonly practiced procedure Is to place the maiden on a couch of boughs over ver heat heated heated ed cd stones Upon these stones water is poured and the victim Is given a thor thorough thorough thorough ough steaming After that she is led to the river for a plunge and is then con considered considered considered worthy of a husband The courting time Is ordinarily dur during during ing the harvesting of the Utes greatest crop the mesquite bean The young man approaches the father of the maiden humbly and asks the hand of the daughter The father simulates rage and orders him away The youth obeys but returns shortly decked out in his gaudiest feathers beads and paint It always happens that the maiden is isalone Isalone alone alon whereupon they become ac acquainted acquainted acquainted and then if she is favorable to his quest they go for a long walk or ride together r in the woods When they return they are considered mar married married marrie ried rie They at once begin housekeeping In n the home of the brides mother moth r where they remain until the first child chUd childs Is s born The young brave then sets up his lis own tepee Divorce among the Utes Is an easy and informal process and consist sim simply simply ply in the husband husban l mounting his horse and deserting his wife and family f mily for his own clan But there is something of a disgrace attaching to such pro proceedings proceedingS proceedings and and an l the man is not allowed to o remarry without the sanction of his and that Is Js generally grant granted granted ed only after atter the petitioner has per performed performed performed formed some feat of bravery or endur endurance ance an e Among the most barbaric and cruel of ot tho the Ute customs is that of Infant infanti infanticide cide clde Ute parents are ordinarily kind kindo to o their children but crippled and und sick sickly sickly ly y children are killed shortly after birth When twins are born the lehst least prom prom promIsing promising Ising sing one is put to death and should one happen to be a girl she is always put to death by strangulation A Ute woman who does not bring male chil children dren Iren Into the world Is looked upon with disdain and suspicion It is recalled rec that the wife of Chief Gray Rabbit Babbit a afew afew few ew years ye rs ago killed herself hersel because she he could not endure the sneers and of being pointed out as the mother of seven daughters and no sons |
