LANGUAGE AND UTENSILS OF THE MODERN UTES. 



By E. a. Barber. 



Each distinct Indian tribe possesses its individual characteristics and 

 peculiarities, different from all others ; and, although neighboring tribes 

 may resemble each other in certain mutual well-established customs, 

 there are always minor points of difference in language, habits, the forms 

 of weapons, or peculiarities of dress ; and by these points an individ- 

 ual Indian may be recognized as belonging to a certain tribe, even 

 should the observer be not sufficiently familiar with the savage physi- 

 ognomy to class him by his facial characteristics. Among themselves, 

 Indians possess a remarkable degree of discernment, being able to 

 detect the most minute shades of difference in well-known objects, so 

 that one can determine unerringly to what tribe another may have 

 belonged from the sight of a single impression of a moccasined foot in 

 the soil. So great is their acuteness of vision and proficiency in the 

 interpretation of signs, that they readily distinguish objects and their 

 kind at so great a distance that unaccustomed eyes can discover 

 nothing. To the eye of the inexperienced in such matters, a stone 

 arrow-head, in whatever section of the West it may have been picked 

 up, would present the appearance simply of an Indian relic ; but when 

 exposed to the gaze of a warrior, it is immediately recognized as having 

 been used by a certain tribe. 



This is the more wonderful for the reason that stone weapons have 

 entirely disappeared from among them, the stone heads, which were 

 perhaps fashioned more than half a century ago, being now replaced by 

 iron-pointed arrows, feathered on the wooden shaft. 



The White River and other bands of the Ute tribe herein described, 

 occupy a reservation which, in the words of the treaty, is described 

 thus : 



Articles of a treaty and agreement made and entered into at Washington City, D. C, 

 on the secoud day of Marcli, IS66. by and between Nathaniel G. Taylor, Commissioner 

 of Indian Affairs," Alexander C. Hnut, governor of Colorado Territory, and ex-olBcio 

 superintendent of Indian aiYairs, and Kit Carson, duly authorized to represent the 

 United States, of the one part, and the representatives of the Tabaquache, Mnache, 

 Capote,Weeminuche,Yampa, Grand Kiver,and Uintah bands of Ute Indians (whose 

 names are hereto subscribed), duly authorized and empowered to act for the body of 

 the people of said bauds, of the other part, witness : 



Art. II. The United States agree that the following district of country, to wit, 

 commencing at that point on the southern boundary-line of tlie Territory of Colorado 

 ■where the meridian of longitude 107^ west from Greenwich crosses the same ; running 

 thence north with said meridian to a point fifteen miles due north of where said meri- 

 dian intersects the fortieth parallel of north latitude ; thence due west to the western 



