The Ute tribe lived in sovereignty in the regions of present-day Utah and Colorado in the Southwestern United States for many centuries until European settlers seized their lands. The state of Utah is named after the Ute tribe.
In addition to their ancestral lands within Colorado and Utah, their historic hunting grounds extended into current-day Wyoming, Oklahoma, Arizona, and New Mexico. The tribe also had sacred grounds outside their home domain that were visited seasonally.
The Ute people have a unique relationship with the land, plants, and all things living. The Circle of Life represents the unique relationship in its shape, colors, and reference to the number four, which represents ideas and qualities for the existence of life. (A Colorado Fourth Grade Resource Guide Lessons about the Ute People of Colorado)