Ute Indian Prayer Trees, of the Pikes Peak Region
At the heart of the Shining Mountains stands a mountain the ancient Ute knew as Tava, the Ute word for Sun. It was the most sacred of all places to the Ute because the sun, which gives forth life from the Creator, always rose there first. The Ute believed that at the beginning of time, the Creator made the Shining Mountains; then, He created the animals, and when He was finished He created The Nuche, The People. The Ute believed the Shining Mountains were created by the Creator to sustain, not just them, but all The People. To the Ute people, life began in the Shining Mountains.
**This book can be purchased directly from the Old Colorado City Historical Society.