Nomadic Ute bands consisting of extended family members are the original indigenous inhabitants of Colorado. They were one of the first native nations to acquire and utilize the domestic horse as a mode of transportation. Travel in the mountains was determined by many factors: the seasons, food supply, and events specific to the Ute people. The seasons would bring the people to the cool mountains during the warm summer months and to the low-lying valleys during the cold, harsh winters. During the spring, family bands of Utes would come together for the Beardance, a social dance that still occurs annually on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation. Personal knowledge of the local rivers, streams, and the many naturally occurring springs was crucial to survival of the people and their new mode of transportation, the horse. “The People of the Shining Mountains,” as they were dubbed by explorers and settlers, passed down from generation to generation knowledge of the traversing waters of their homelands. Today, the Southern Ute Indian Tribe oversees the protection of their water, land, and air with the Southern Ute Environmental Programs Department. KSUT Tribal Radio 91.3 FM brings a blend of Traditional and Contemporary Native American Music to the listeners of the Pine River Valley and to the Southern Ute Indian Reservation. The most popular program, “The Native American Morning Show,” begins daily at 8 AM and is hosted exclusively by Southern Ute Tribal Members. Contact: Sheila B. Nanaeto, Signal Director, KSUT Tribal Radio, sheila@ksut.org