The Southern Ute Indian Montessori Academy invited Dale Santistevan into their Ute Language class for a cultural presentation tied to traditional and contemporary Ute beadwork, Friday, April 13.

Santistevan has been creating beadwork projects since his early teens, often referencing historic photos of Ute beadwork to find inspiration for his designs.

Santistevan encouraged the young students to try their hand at beading something for themselves.

Beaded belts lay against one another for the students to view, each beaded design is the work of Southern Ute Dale Santistevan, many of those being showcased from his collection date back more than a decade or two.

Photo Credit: Jeremy Wade Shockley | The Southern Ute Drum