Month: July 2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Bear Dance Fire Burn Area Closed Until Further Notice

July 26, 2022 / August 22, 2022 by Lindsay Box

Maykh, Please read the attached press release: “Bear Dance Fire Burn Area Closed Until Further Notice” FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT Melvin J. Baker, Chairman – 970.563.0100 Lindsay J. Box – 970.563.2313 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 26, 2022 Bear Dance Fire Burn Area Closed Until Further Notice Southern Ute Indian Reservation – The Southern Ute Tribal Council has permanently closed the Bear Dance Fire Burn Area until further notice. The Bear Dance Fire ignited on June 3 on tribal trust land. The riparian area burned 89 acres north of the Bear Dance grounds and along the Pine River. BIA Fire Management welcomed the Burned Area Emergency Rehabilitation (BAER) team to oversee the BAER planning and implementation. The program brought technical experts to the Southern Ute Indian Reservation to meet with tribal professionals to address safety hazards and begin restoration. While conducting a walk through with Tribal Council, leadership noticed what was thought to be an area where hazardous materials may have been disposed of in years past. The area housed historic office buildings for the BIA. Like many older buildings, the materials used at the time of construction often contained hazardous materials. The Bear Dance Fire exposed the site and the […]

Press Releases Tribal Members

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Southern Ute Tribal Council Reaffirms Significance of Tribal Sovereignty

July 22, 2022 / August 22, 2022 by Lindsay Box

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT Melvin J. Baker, Chairman – 970.563.0100 Lindsay Box – 970.563.2313 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 22, 2022 Southern Ute Tribal Council Reaffirms Significance of Tribal Sovereignty Southern Ute Indian Reservation – The Southern Ute Tribal Council shares their approved Statement on Sovereignty via Resolution No. 2022-126. The Tribal Council’s Statement on Sovereignty arises out of recent events that are an affront to the sovereignty of all tribes in the United States. The Supreme Court ruling on Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta undermines the true definition of sovereignty, and restrains Tribes’ ability to govern themselves, and ultimately protect tribal members and resources. This is the most significant threat to Tribal sovereignty in many years. Tribal Council believes the Southern Ute Indian Tribe’s Statement on Sovereignty illustrates the tribe’s position on this threat to tribal sovereignty and governance. “The Statement on Sovereignty reasserts the foundation for which the Tribe operates and governs itself. The Tribe will continue to fight to protect its inherent sovereignty which our past Ute leaders fought to preserve through treaties and declared by federal law in exchange for the land stolen and the attempted eradication of our Ute culture and language.” stated Chairman Melvin J. Baker. The Tribal Council’s Statement on […]