Story of the Land

Ute Wickiup

As a people that moved with the seasons, the idea of shelter for the indigenous Ute that lived and traveled through our area, was far different than our modern constructs. A wickiup was a temporary cone shaped sleeping structure made of wood, used for anywhere from a night to a season.

Through the Colorado Wickiup Project, archaeologists have been able to date wickiups back to 1750. Although wickiups were ephemeral structures, they provide a window to a greater understanding of our land history. The thorough study revealed different types of architectural features, clusters from individual wickiups to villages containing 43 wooden structures, and insights regarding tool usage. One of the most surprising findings was that some structures were built after 1880, when the Ute were forced (see April 1^st entry below) from western Colorado (including Glenwood Springs) to land in Southwest Colorado and Utah. At least some Ute did not comply with those orders.

An opportunity we have as a campus community is to examine our campus lands in order to identify indigenous structures and artifacts before they are lost to time and the elements. We can be part of an effort to document and communicate unwritten history and further our community’s understanding of the indigenous people.  

Archaeologists believe that there is a larger concentration (pg. 9) of Wickiups in piñon-juniper woodland mid-level elevations such as our campus lands.

Go to page 11 to see a larger map of documented wooden structures including in our area.

The Story of the Land series provides context and information for our campus community as we reckon with our past and seek direction for how we move forward, connecting the story of the land to our CMC values and actions. As always, I invite your feedback and ideas on actions you are considering integrating land history into your work and perspectives on campus action.

Addendum: Rocky Mountain PBS series Colorado Experience aired an episode about Wikiups in January 2019.