Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson visited the Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Council Friday in Towaoc, then joined the annual Bear Dance after a tour of the White Mesa reservation in Utah.
“Prayer and medicine. Songs and community,” Henderson said in a tweet. “I was deeply honored to join Ute Mountain Ute Chairman Manuel Heart for the White Mesa Bear Dance. I was surprisingly bad at it,” she added.
The Ute Mountain Ute Tribe holds the White Mesa Bear Dance Sept. 2-5.
The cultural celebration takes place in the reservation of community White Mesa, south of Blanding. The four-day event is open to the public, and signs will guide visitors to the Bear Dance Corral.
On Sept. 2 at 10 a.m. dancing begins and continues throughout the festival. It involves people singing and playing of the Growler, an instrument that depicts the sound of a bear. A wooden box with a metal top is banged on to represent thunder.
There are additional events as well.
- On Sept. 3, the Bear Dance walk begins at 8 a.m. from the White Mesa Recreation Center. Registration is at 7 a.m.
- On Sept. 3, the Handgame Tournament begins at 2:30 p.m. Registration opens at 11 a.m. and closes at 2 p.m. Contact Sophia Box at (970) 560-3608 for more information.
- On Sept. 5, the Bear Dance goes from 10 a.m. and ends at sundown. A community feast begins at noon next to the Powwow Fairgrounds.
The White Mesa Bear Dance Chiefs are Jack Cantsee Jr., Tallas Cantsee, Aldean Ketchum, and Eric Wells.
