CMU partnership with Ute tribes began last autumn

By NATHAN DEAL

Nathan.Deal@gjsentinel.com

For many years, the different Ute tribes of Colorado and Utah would trek to Delta to meet at the Ute Council Tree, a giant cottonwood tree that lived for more than 200 years. However, in 2017, the tree was cut down because of safety concerns, removing a Ute symbol of convening from the Western Slope.

In 2023, Colorado Mesa University decided to step in and serve a similar function in providing a location for the Utes to come together in the region. The university hosted a Tri-Ute meeting on Oct. 28, uniting the tribes in a formal process to explore opportunities and challenges while setting the foundation for a partnership between the school and the tribes that will continue into the future.

CMU President John Marshall welcomed to campus representatives from the three tribal nations of the Utes: the Ute Indian Tribe (based in Fort Duchesne, Utah), the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe (based in Towaoc, Colorado, outside Cortez) and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe (based in Ignacio near Durango).

“I think Colorado Mesa University has recognized the importance of the original stewards of that land there in the Grand Junction area and how it’s always been important to the Ute tribes, so inviting the Utes to be a part of it not only recognizes and acknowledges that historic portion of it but it also creates an ongoing partnership for the future,” said Ernest House Jr., a member of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and the director of the Center for Tribal and Indigenous Engagement at the Keystone Policy Center.

“As a higher education institution, they

See TRIBES, page 8A ➤

Colorado Mesa University President John Marshall is joined by representatives of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and the Ute Indian Tribe on Oct. 28. Colorado Mesa hosted a Tri-Ute meeting for the first time, kicking off a partnership that will bring the tribes to campus on an annual basis.

COURTESY OF COLORADO MESA UNIVERSITY

. Continued from page 1A

offer programs that can help benefit the future of the tribe, not just in STEM-related degrees but also in other kinds of jobs. Both Ute tribes in Colorado are the largest employers in their respective counties (Montezuma and La Plata). Everything from heavy machinery operators to the hospitality industry to farmers and ranchers and the future of agriculture, and of course there’s the need and conversation around the best use of water.... It’s huge on the Western Slope, and the tribes have enterprises that focus on that, so they’re interested in what the future workforce needs will be.”

Anthropologists estimate that the Utes have called Colorado home for about 10-12,000 years, although House leans toward saying they’ve lived here “since time immemorial.” There were once seven smaller bands of tribes all across Colorado that eventually consolidated into the three larger nations. Because these bands were spread out, they prioritized coming together for celebrations.

“One (celebration) in particular is our annual Bear Dance celebration which is a convening and renewal of life that’s celebrated in the springtime to honor the Bear. That’s particularly where a lot of the bands would come together to talk about issues going on or things that were of mutual interest to each band,” House said. “As westward expansion happened in the 1700s and 1800s where you started to see a lot more interaction with non-Utes and then with the reservation-based system and federal government, those bands were forced to go onto reservations, which are identified as the three tribes today.”

Tri-Ute meetings happened quarterly until the COVID-19 pandemic. After the chaos of the pandemic, the tribes are discussing ways to reengage and revive the Tri-Ute process, although no decision has been made as to whether their meetings will be quarterly or annually.

What they do know is that they will be meeting at Colorado Mesa on an annual basis. The university is also organizing more tribal initiatives. At the Tri-Ute meeting in October, Glenn May, a representative of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, requested that CMU Tech organize a comprehensive two-day training session utilizing the school’s mobile learning lab. The session will take place Jan. 25-26 with six students, either Native or residing within the community, expected to participate.

The mobile learning lab is designed to cover topics such as electricity and wiring fundamentals, electrical safety, intro to electronics and robotics, and photovoltaic.

For House and other Utes, Colorado Mesa has gotten off to a strong start in serving as a hub of unity and partnership for the tribes in a region so closely tied to their history and traditions, especially after the Ute Council Tree in Delta was felled.

“When that tree eventually was cut down due to safety concerns, it presented a great opportunity for Colorado Mesa to offer this location. The Western Slope’s going to continue to be very important. Also, the proximity from all three reservations to Grand Junction is about the same amount of time, so even though there’s passes from Ridgway or the La Platas, it’s still very important, and that carries a very strong cultural symbolism to the importance of Tri-Ute to maintain moving forward,” House said.

“I think the importance of the Council Tree will still be there, I think you’ll see a lot of conversations that will include some of those communities. Delta used to have a huge powwow in conjunction with the Council Tree convening. It brought a lot of great history and education to the local students in the school system in that community. Hopefully, those conversations can be revived, and with this type of convening, those possibilities are there.”