Final answer:
The Ute tribe lived a nomadic lifestyle that was close to nature and their communities before the arrival of white settlers. The discovery of natural resources on their land and imposition of individual land ownership disrupted their traditional lifestyle, leading to forced relocations and cultural fragmentation.
Step-by-step explanation:
Life for members of the Ute tribe before the arrival of white settlers was centered on a nomadic lifestyle with communal land ownership.
They lived in the Great Basin and Plateau regions, surviving through foraging and moving from place to place. Their housing was simplistic, made from trees and brush, and they were a community closely connected to nature and their kin.
The introduction of horses by Europeans added more mobility to their lives, aiding in their hunting practices. However, the discovery of precious resources such as gold and silver in their lands led to the eventual forced relocation onto reservations.
This disruption was followed by the Dawes Act which imposed the concept of individual land ownership, radically changing their way of life and separating many from the land they had once freely inhabited.
Over time, valuable natural resources such as oil and gas were discovered on Ute lands, leading to further displacement and hardship. Children were often sent to boarding schools, disconnecting them from their cultural heritage and practices.
All of these factors contributed to a significant transformation of the Ute lifestyle, from one of freedom and connection with the environment to one of upheaval and cultural fragmentation.