Wild and free
Friday - March 1, 2019 by Jeremiah Valdez
The American black bear (Ursus americanus)
Ute: kwiyaghatʉ
The red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)
Ute: Sigwanachi
The great blue heron (Ardea herodias)
Ute: ’ɵɵghwa’ayɵv
The mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus)
Ute: Tʉiyʉ
Photo Credit: Courtesy | Jeremiah Valdez
Photo Credit: Courtesy | Jeremiah Valdez
Photo Credit: Courtesy | Jeremiah Valdez
Photo Credit: Courtesy | Jeremiah Valdez




Revisiting wildlife through the lens of tribal member Jeremiah Valdez. These birds and animals were photographed across the Southern Ute Reservation throughout the various seasons. Bears, lions, deer, elk and other four legged animals all make their home in the wilds from one season to the next, living alongside the winged creatures — the eagles, hawks, herons and crows who take to the sky and watch the world from above.