User:Paige2112/Bear Dance

The Event of the Bear Dance
Out of all the Ute ceremonies, the Bear Dance is said to be one of the oldest. It lasts a week to ten days. The Ute Indians start the bear dance in the spring when they hear the first thunder. The Ute Indians were now able to break winter camps and look for food and game. The Ute were able to come outside again and release any stress or tensions that were there. Both men and women prepared for the bear dance. Clothes are made for families to be worn during the dance by the women. Each year, a new corral is made and is placed at the entrance of the dance. The corral and other things related to the dance are made by men. When the bear dance begins, a medicine man or chief directs the dance. Songs are played during the event, and children and adults dance like they saw the bears do. Legends say that the songs played by the Ute Indians showed respect to the bears spirits. These songs are played with wooden notched sticks by musicians. They also use drums and other musical instruments to play music. When the drums are played, they sing an incantation. They believe the incantation takes the noises to the caves of the bears which are then transformed into thunder. They dance and socialize until the ceremony is concluded. As the ceremony concludes, feasting begins and the dance was over.