Belle Zars

Only Connect Ute Indians / Elkhead Homesteaders Belle Zars

Two Cultures - One Land

Only Connect is the story of Yamparika Ute Indians and later, homesteaders and teachers, in Bears Ears Country or Elkhead, Colorado. With a micro-historical approach, the book chronicles forced removal, suffering, dislocation and loss, as well as courage, achievement and resilience. The author weaves together first-person accounts, interviews, letters and diaries with grounded knowledge of place to bring to light previously untold and buried history while exploring the questions:

What is the sense of connection and belonging embedded in our social lives?

How do communities form and what nourishes and sustains them?

How do individuals come to consider the well-being of the whole and practice action for the common good?