Carved from Indiana limestone, “The Northern Ute Bear Dancers” depicts male and female Ute Tribal members participating in the annual spring ceremony shared among the three Ute Tribal Nations. Installed in Civic Plaza, in the heart of downtown Steamboat, the sculpture serves not only as a striking public artwork, but a permanent acknowledgment of the Yampa Valley’s original stewards.

“‘The Northern Ute Bear Dancers’ stands as a reminder to the community that the Ute people have stewarded the lands and waters of the Yampa Valley since time immemorial,” says Kelly Romero-Heaney, the deputy city manager. “This event is about more than a dedication – it’s about coming together to listen, learn and celebrate a living tradition.”

Long before miners and ranchers, the valley has been the ancestral homeland of the Ute people. Today, the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and the Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation maintain enduring cultural and historical ties to the region. The dedication reflects broader efforts by local arts and cultural organizations to recognize that history through collaboration, education and public art.

“Public art has the power to bring people together in meaningful and lasting ways,” says Kim Keith, executive director of Steamboat Creates. “Oreland’s sculpture is not only a remarkable work of art, but also an opportunity to better understand the cultural traditions and living heritage of the Ute people.”

Hosted at Civic Plaza beginning at 5 p.m., the event will center around the traditional Bear Dance – a ceremony rooted in renewal, kinship and the changing of seasons. The Bear Dance carries deep spiritual and cultural meaning within Ute tradition. Passed down through generations, the ceremony marks the transition from winter into spring and symbolizes renewal, strength and connection to the natural world. According to Ute tradition, the dance originated from a story in which a bear emerged after hibernation and taught the songs and movements to the people.

 More than a formal dedication, organizers hope the evening creates space for the community to come together through art, storytelling, music and shared experience.

For many in the community, the evening will offer a rare opportunity to witness a living cultural practice that continues to hold profound significance today. The event is intended not only to celebrate the sculpture itself, but also to encourage deeper understanding of the Ute people’s enduring relationship to the Yampa Valley.

Following the dedication and Bear Dance, attendees are invited to continue the evening at The Depot Art Center for a community potluck offering conversation and connection with artists and Tribal members. Guests are encouraged to bring a homemade dish to share as the gathering transitions from ceremony to fellowship.

The event takes place at the Civic Plaza Thursday, May 28 at 5 p.m. The event will continue at The Depot Art Center for a community reception at 6:30 p.m. The free public event is hosted collaboratively by Steamboat Creates, Tread of Pioneers Museum, Steamboat Art Museum and the City of Steamboat Springs.