An Ancestral Prayer Tree
The Northern Utes had several trails that led to TAVA, "Pikes Peak", the mountain, sacred as it was considered the birthplace of the people. Along these trails they would take a young ponderosa pine and bend it, tying it with deer hide, marking the way to the mountian. Their small bands on pilgrimage to the mountain would stop at each tree to eat and pray, sending blessings to their ancesters. And asking for little. This particular tree has a smooth twisted trunk, worn smooth by the many hands passing over it's surface. I would guess the tree to be at least two hundred years old. It is very strange, and perhaps just a figment of my imagination, but when I touch the tree where the hands were rubbed, it could be the coldest day of the year, and that area feels warm. I too have asked for blessings, that I believe I have received. Some may laugh, some may snort or tsk at my individual pilgrimage. I own it, I accept it, and to me, the tree remains as a symbol of the pure hearts of the Ute.
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