Indian Stalking Elk

1976 Exhibit Brochure
Shoshone Indians and other tribal groups considered the Ogden Valley in which are situated the current communities of Huntsville, Eden and Liberty to be a hunter’s paradise. Near the artesian springs which supply Ogden’s culinary water needs, Shoshone Indians are stalking elk.

2023 Exhibit Guide
In the early 1800s, Shoshone Indians and other tribal groups considered the Ogden Valley, or “Ogden’s Hole”, as it was called by trappers and mountain men, to be a location to hunt for food reserves. Before settlers arrived in the region and Pineview Reservoir was constructed, the mountain valley provided an abundance of wildlife including elk, beaver, wolverine, sheep, deer, and bear. While many of the animals are now mostly gone from the region, several herds of elk can still be seen.
This painting by Bryner depicts a band of Native Americans hunting elk in the valley as well as illustrating the plant life native to the mountain valleys.

Kaysville Area Connections
Early pioneers reported an abundance of wildlife on the creeks and in the mountain canyons of Kaysville similar to other Wasatch areas. Long before the white trappers and settlers, the indigenous peoples were caretakers of the ecology of the area where creeks were a natural corridor for animal travel.

Artist
Dale W. Bryner (1935-1999)

Dale Bryner from Ogden, Utah received both Bachelor and Master of Fine Arts degrees from the University of Utah, and joined the Weber State College art faculty in 1965. He was highly regarded as a skilled life-drawing and figure-structure teacher.
Bryner’s work, recognized both locally and nationally, involves a variety of mediums including gouache, oils, airbrush, printmaking, illustration, etching, and photography.

Sources

  • “Bicentennial Historical Art Collection.” 1976 Exhibition Brochure, Special Collections, Weber State University.  Spelling corrected.
  • Eyes Toward the Past. DVD.
  • Karras, Marilyn. “Wildlife Thrived in Valley”. The Ogden Standard Examiner, 15 Aug. 1976, Sun.

Notes
Copyright owned by Weber State University Storytelling Festival. All rights reserved. Painting shown by Kaysville – Fruit Heights Museum with permission. Painting number 15 in the 2023 exhibit guide.