The audience inside the Steamboat Springs High School auditorium on Tuesday, April 11, was greeted by a group of dancers and drummers from the Ute Nation who entertained the packed house with a colorful and cultural experience.

“It’s important to share my culture so that others can learn,” 8-year-old dancer Oaklee Eagle Hawk said. “What I like about coming to Steamboat Springs is seeing the beautiful trees.”

Eagle Hawk performed a grass dance during three presentations in Steamboat Springs this week. His dance skills are rooted in Ute traditions, much like his long hair and the beaded regalia he wears for performances.

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Eagle Hawk’s mother, Geraldine Selestewa, said her son has been dancing since before he could walk.

“He has been dancing since he was a little baby,” Selestewa said. “He was in a cradle board (on his father’s back), and he was brought into the circle in South Dakota, so he’s been in the circle for a while.”

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Eagle Hawk was one of more than 15 dancers from The Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray and Ute Mountain Tribe that visited Steamboat Springs this week for the Ute Indian Powwow Dance Performance and Presentation. The week included events Tuesday at the Steamboat Springs High School and two performances Wednesday, April 12, at Soda Creek Elementary School.

The events were presented by the Tread of Pioneers Museum, which has been bringing the cultural event to Steamboat Springs since 2017. It has grown into a popular attraction for residents of Steamboat Springs. During the performances, the Ute tribe members shared their dances, music and colorful regalia in a special performance and cultural presentation.