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Provo • If you've witnessed the elaborate feathered costumes and traditional jingle dresses in local Native American cultural presentations, you've likely seen a performance by Gary Fields and his family.

Several times each year, the Orem family loads up dozens of wooden poles for canvas teepees, animal-skin drums and homemade traditional costumes to perform for curious audiences throughout Utah Valley, strengthening a foundation of mutual understanding.

"If we're talking Utah history, people don't have any concept, they don't have any concept at all, that Utah Valley was a heavily populated Native American area," Fields said. "Many of our place names here — cities, towns, geographic features — come from the peoples who were living here."

The name "Utah" theoretically was derived from the mountainous Native American Ute Tribe or from the Apache word "Yuttahih," which means "Those that are higher up," according to the state's government website.

While serving as assistant director from 1981-1986 for Brigham Young University's folk dance group Lamanite Generation, now known as Living Legends, Fields met his future wife, Angela.

The couple eventually had nine children, most of whom have taken on their mother's Hopi Native American ancestry. Gary Fields acculturated to Shinnecock, Lakota and Cree native heritages.

The family has performed in venues as large as Madison Square Garden in New York, at overseas military bases for the Department of Defense, and at Utah municipal libraries, ceremonies and festivals.

A "Living Culture"

"We mention the Native American culture is a living culture. It's not a museum culture; we're not trying to re-create something," Fields said.

He shares stories during the family performances, many of which teach children how to behave themselves. A trickster character often serves as the main character who always does the wrong thing, and it always turns out badly for him.

However, some stories are better conveyed through movement, dance and music. Fields' son Jacob won a world championship for the hoop dance, a regular highlight in the Fields' presentations.

During the dance, dozens of thin hoops approximately 18 inches in diameter ring the limbs and torso of the performer, who maneuvers them to portray various images, such as a flower, basket or an eagle, among others representations.

Keeping Fields' and his wife's culture relevant to younger generations poses a challenge in many ways, but the father hopes his children will "keep a connection."

He said one cannot be separate and still function in society, but can maintain an identity that is uniquely individual.

"For our family, what I want them to do it just keep a connection with who they are and where they came from and have a respect for that," Fields said of the public performances. "Those who have gone on before us, no matter what culture we are, are an important part of who we are."

Fields has traveled to more than 50 Native American reservations throughout the United States and while serving a two-year proselyting mission in the Alberta-Saskatchewan Canada Mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Having roots, he said, and maintaining a firm foundation with one's past is pivotal, particularly in hectic modern-day society.

"We lose our roots. We don't seem to have a connection with anything, and so we get bounced around a lot," Fields said. "Sometimes values get lost along the way, and sometimes we say, 'Oh, it's just progress.'

"But it's good to have those roots, that connection, that foundation somewhere."

Fields was born in Salt Lake City and now teaches at Oak Canyon Junior High School in Orem. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in environmental science and microbiology from BYU.

Springville World Fok Fest

Fields continues building an understanding of Native American cultures through his performances, such as at the six-day Springville World Folk Festival beginning Monday.

"Everybody has something to offer," Fields said. "When we each can find that thing that we can offer and we find our niche and we offer our gift, then we strengthen the circle of our family, our community and of our nation."

Josh Fields, 22, often performs with his family and relatives. He said native cultures go beyond stereotypes and are still influential systems for current generations.

"It's a living culture. People might say the Indians are gone and stuff, but no, they're not gone. It's just a part of history that's a little more pushed to the side now," Josh Fields said.

"It's not just something cool like cowboys and Indians — it's still a culture that's a very strong and powerful thing."

Events like the folk festival in Springville help create positive associations with Native American cultures. Even if those who attend do not explicitly remember each story or traditional dance, many walk away with an affirmative outlook to a set of beliefs different from their own.

Many animals are used in the strong storytelling traditions of Native Americans, and animals act as symbols in certain spiritual beliefs.

"All Natives would probably agree that the eagle has always been very sacred, because it takes our prayers up to the Creator," Josh Fields said. "It flies so high because it's taking the prayers up to Him. That's always been a respected symbol to us."

Mormon Settlers in Utah

Cultural misunderstandings were a source of some contention as Mormon pioneers began settling the Great Salt Lake Valley, Gary Fields said. A significant population of Ute people lived in the area year-around.

"There were of course problems between the settlers and the native people here," he said, "because it's the age-old story of competition for resources and not understanding each other."

He continued by pointing out that societies are built upon a foundation of other people who were here before us.

After public performances, Gary Fields and his wife often interact with attendees who come up and apologize for "what we did to you." The performing parents kindly suggest that it's less important to dwell on past events, but instead, it's better to learn how to interact on a personal basis in the future.

"Where we go from here is what's important," Gary Fields said. "We don't interact with each other as groups of people; we interact on a personal basis.

"Let's be open. Let's try to understand each other. Let's try and see where we come from."