The Tread of Pioneers Museum

As our country and our world continue to grapple with issues of race and inequality, the world’s museums are joining together to speak out and stand up for social justice. During these turbulent times, museums can guide communities toward insight, truth and justice through an understanding of our past.

The Tread of Pioneers Museum serves as a historical repository, research center, storyteller and place of learning and reflection. We strive to tell the story of our heritage through the voices and perspectives of the people who lived it. It is our honor and duty to serve as a conduit for our history and for Ute Indian cultural appreciation in our community. Through exhibits, research, education and events, the museum creates opportunities to hear from and learn first-hand from local residents, past and present, and from the Ute people themselves — their story, in their words.

To increase awareness and appreciation of Ute Indian history and culture and to connect Ute Indian youth with their ancestral lands and history in Steamboat Springs, the museum started an annual event in 2017 for our community called the “Steamboat Springs/Ute Indian Cultural Exchange.” Students from the Uintah River High School of Fort Duchesne, Utah, perform powwow dances and music and explain the history and meaning of the dances in three presentations at local schools — two for students and one for the public.

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