The Ignacio School District and the Southern Ute Indian Tribal Council Announce the Ignacio School District Indian Policies and Procedures (IPP) Meeting

Attached is an invitation from the Ignacio School Board and the Southern Ute Indian Tribal Council to all parents of an American Indian student to attend the Ignacio School District Indian Policies and Procedures (IPP) meeting on Monday, October 6, 2023, at 5:30 p.m. The meeting will be held in person at the Ignacio High School Auditorium and light meal will be served. If you have any questions, please contact Chris deKay, Ignacio Superintendent of Schools, at (970) 563-0500 or Latitia Taylor, Director of Education for the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, at (970) 563-0237.

The link to the annual IPP report that is handed out has been made available online for your viewing prior to the meeting taking place.

https://www.ignacioschools.org/indian-policies-and-procedures-0267fc7e

The links for the surveys are as follows:

Ignacio Early Learning Program

Ignacio Elementary School

Ignacio Middle School

Ignacio High School

 

Governor Polis and Lt. Governor Primavera visit Southern Ute Indian Tribe

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT

Melvin J. Baker, Chairman – 970.563.2320

Summer Begay, Communication Specialist– 970.563.2313

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 2, 2023

 

Governor Polis and Lt. Governor Primavera visit Southern Ute Indian Tribe

Southern Ute Indian Reservation – Chairman Baker and Tribal Council, extended a warm welcome to Colorado Governor Jared Polis, Lieutenant Governor Dianne Primavera, and the Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs Director Kathryn Redhorse during a visit to the Southern Ute Indian Tribe.

During a productive meeting, a wide range of critical issues were discussed that hold significant importance for the Tribal community and the State of Colorado. These topics included Broadband, Behavioral Health, Housing, Transit, and legislative concerns, showcasing a commitment to addressing the pressing needs of both parties for the benefit of Tribal and Non-Tribal residents. Informative presentations were provided by the Southern Ute Shared Services and the Tribal Health Department.

Chairman Baker and Governor Polis highlighted the importance of maintaining and strengthening the sovereign-to-sovereign relationship. “This relationship is progressive and has been a model for State and Tribal relationships”, said Chairman Baker. Governor Polis expressed willingness to elevate and collaborate with the Tribe on issues. Both leaders expressed interest in identifying future opportunities for meaningful engagement.

Governor Polis and Lieutenant Governor Primavera toured the SunUte Community Center with Representative Barbara McLachlan. The tour was led by Robin Duffy-Wirth and SunUte staff to showcase the facility, amenities, and its role in fostering physical health, wellness, and community engagement across all ages. Following the tour, Tribal youth shared with the State leadership about their roles in SunUte, educational goals, and future plans.

The commitment to forging a brighter, more prosperous future remains steadfast, as Chairman Baker, Tribal Council, Governor Polis, and his team continue to work hand in hand as separate sovereign governments to address the challenges and opportunities. For more information, please contact Tribal Council Affairs at 970-563-2313.

 

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Summer R. Begay

Communication Specialist | Tribal Council Affairs

Southern Ute Indian Tribe

P.O. Box 737 Ignacio, CO 81137

Office: 970-563-2313

Work Cell: 970-553-0052

 

Southern Ute Air Quality Alert – Smoke Particulate Matter – Very Unheathly

The Southern Ute Indian Tribe’s Environmental Programs Division operates three air quality stations on the Reservation and maintains a website that provides real-time air pollutant and EPA Air Quality Index (AQI) health alerts from data collected at these stations. Smoke from wildfires can cause unhealthy levels of fine particulate matter (PM) in the air.

Particulate matter is continuously measured at the Ute 3 monitoring station near Bondad Hill and the Ute 1 monitoring station in Ignacio.

As of Friday 9/29/2023, 7:30am, the Ute 1 station is currently reading high PM concentrations with a corresponding AQI of Hazardous.  Everyone should avoid any outdoor exertion; people with respiratory or heart disease, the elderly and children should remain indoors. People with respiratory or heart disease, the elderly and children are the groups most at risk.

To view the ambient monitoring program website, and for more information about how to understand the AQI forecast, follow the links below:

Southern Ute Indian Tribe Ambient Monitoring Program Website

 

EPA Air Quality Index Information Website

 

Wildfire Smoke Resources to Protect Your Health | US EPA

 

EPA Air Now Article – How Smoke From Fires Can Affect Your Health

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT

EPD, Air Quality – 970.563.2244

 

Jacob Henry

Air Quality Technician

Environmental Programs Division

Southern Ute Indian Tribe

970-563-2296

jhenry@southernute-nsn.gov

 

For Immediate Release: Biden Administration Initiative Allocates Vital Resources to Address Legacy Pollution

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT

Melvin J. Baker, Chairman – 970.563.2320

Summer Begay, Communication Specialist– 970.563.2313

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 22, 2023

Biden Administration Initiative Allocates Vital Resources to Address Legacy Pollution

Southern Ute Indian Reservation – The Department of the Interior has announced an initial allocation of nearly $40 million as part of President Biden’s “Investing in America” initiative. This substantial funding represents the first phase of a comprehensive effort to support Tribal communities in addressing abandoned oil and gas wells across Indian Country. The primary goals of this investment include advocating for Tribal land rights, promoting economic opportunities, addressing legacy pollution, and mitigating environmental hazards.

The Southern Ute Department of Energy (DOE), in collaboration with the Tribe’s Contracts and Grants Department, applied for a grant under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Section 40601 Orphaned Well Program from the Department of Interior. Their grant application was specifically tailored to secure funds for conducting technical and field investigations into legacy plugged and abandoned wells, ensuring their integrity and long-term environmental protection. Andy Wetherell, Energy Manager at the Southern Ute Department of Energy, said, “the team is appreciative of Tribal Council’s support and the collaboration with the Tribe’s Contracts and Grants Department to proactively manage the Tribe’s resources and ensure legacy issues related to energy development are managed appropriately.”

Chairman Melvin J. Baker expressed, “The Southern Ute Indian Tribe is honored to have been awarded this funding, which will serve as a valuable resource in furthering our commitment to a clean and sustainable future.” In recognition of their dedication and proactive efforts, the Southern Ute Indian Tribe has been granted $497,850. This financial support will enable the Tribe to play a pivotal role in the broader mission of addressing legacy pollution and enhancing the well-being of Tribal communities.

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Summer R. Begay

Communication Specialist | Tribal Council Affairs

Southern Ute Indian Tribe

P.O. Box 737 Ignacio, CO 81137

Office: 970-563-2313

Work Cell: 970-553-0052

Follow the Tribal Council:

Facebook | @southernute

Twitter | @SUIT_Council

Instagram | @suit_tribalcouncil

2023 Southern Ute Indian Tribe’s Health Fair

This year’s Southern Ute Health Fair is quickly approaching, and Southern Ute Health Services Division would love to see you participate in this event. Please find the event flyer as well as the vendor form attached below. Vendor admission is FREE, but we ask that you provide a raffle prize for contribution toward this event. Paperwork is due back to me no later than Friday, October 20th, 2023. Thank you for your interest in participation and we look forward to seeing many friendly faces there!

 

Toghoyaqh, 

 

Alyssa Seibel

Admin Assistant I

Community & Home Health Services

Office: 970-563-2348

Cell: 970-553-0118

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Southern Ute Indian Tribe Growth Fund Announces Kava Equity Partners and New Hires

For Immediate Release

August 30, 2023

Southern Ute Indian Tribe Growth Fund Announces Kava Equity Partners and New Hires

Kava Equity Partners is the Direct Private Equity Investment Group of the Southern Ute Growth Fund

Southern Ute Indian Reservation, August 30, 2023 – The Southern Ute Indian Tribe Growth Fund (“Growth Fund”), the business arm of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, announced today its newest business subsidiary, Kava Equity Partners, LLC (“Kava Equity Partners”). Kava Equity Partners will grow and diversify the Tribe’s investments by seeking majority and minority, private equity investments in lower middle market companies that see business value in partnering with the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and are aligned with the Tribe’s cultural, environmental, and economic values.

Growth Fund Executive Director, Mr. Shane Seibel, said, “We are excited to see the investment opportunities generated by Kava Equity Partners that will grow and diversify our portfolio.”

Kava (pronounced “Kah-VAH”) is the Ute word for horse, which has historically been of great importance and profound significance to the Tribe. The horse allowed the Tribe to explore new territory and expand or grow resources for the membership and represents the values of partnership, reliability, and independence critical to the Tribe’s well-being.

The Growth Fund also announced the recent hiring of Mr. Peter Shepard as Assistant Operating Director of the Growth Fund and Mr. James Dudley as Managing Director of Kava Equity Partners. Mr. Shepard oversees the Growth Fund’s GF Properties Group, LLC, which owns and manages a diverse commercial and multifamily real estate portfolio, as well as Kava Equity Partners. Mr. Dudley, as Managing Director of Kava Equity Partners, is responsible for sourcing, underwriting, structuring, and closing private equity investments and actively participates in Kava Equity Partners’ strategy development and portfolio management.

“We are delighted to have Peter join our team,” said Growth Fund Operating Director, Ms. Kourtney Hadrick. “He brings many years of successful investment and operating company leadership experience to the Southern Ute Growth Fund. With Peter’s assistance, we look forward to continued success and acceleration in our real estate and direct private equity investment activities.”

Previously, Mr. Shepard was COO and CFO of Walker & Dunlop Investment Partners (formerly JCR Capital Investment Corporation), a Denver-based real estate private equity firm. Earlier in his career, he founded and served as Managing Director of Athena Business Solutions, a CFO consultancy, and sister company First Business Partners, an out-sourced back-office administration firm. Previously, Mr. Shepard was President and CEO of CapTerra Financial Group, Inc., a publicly traded real estate finance company, and Executive Director of Constellation Real Technologies, a strategic venture capital fund. He received an MS (Real Estate Development) from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), a JD from Cornell Law School, and a BA from New York University.

“I’m honored and excited to join the Southern Ute Indian Tribe Growth Fund,” said Mr. Shepard. “The mission of the Growth Fund is to grow the economic prosperity of the Tribe. The Tribe has done a tremendous job over several decades of thoughtfully developing a thriving and diverse investment portfolio. I look forward to working with this outstanding team and building upon that success.”

“We are very fortunate to have James Dudley join Kava Equity Partners as Managing Director,” said Mr. Shepard. “James has a strong background in venture capital and private equity, investing across a range of industries including information technology, biotech, and consumer products, and we are eager to leverage his knowledge and relationships.”

Mr. Dudley’s experience in private markets investing spans early-stage venture capital to growth equity at Colorado-based investment groups Caruso Ventures and Boulder Ventures. Previously, he held technical engineering roles at several companies, including Tesla and Boulder-based Acroname. He has MS (Mechanical Engineering – Mechatronics), BS (Mechanical Engineering), and BA (Archaeology) degrees from Stanford University, as well as an MBA from the CU Boulder Leeds School of Business.

About Southern Ute Indian Tribe

The Ute people are the oldest continuous residents of what is today the state of Colorado. Historically a loose confederation of ten bands, the Mouache and Caputa bands make up the present-day Southern Ute Indian Tribe. In the 1950s, natural gas was discovered on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation. Nominal royalty payments collected from the 1950s through the 1980s did little to support tribal members. In the 1980s, in pursuit of economic and cultural self-determination, the Tribe created its own gas production company. From that initial investment, the Tribe has grown and diversified its holdings across multiple industries. Today, the Tribe is the largest employer in La Plata County, Colorado, maintains a Triple A credit rating, and oversees a thriving investment portfolio with assets in 14 states and the Gulf of Mexico.

About Southern Ute Indian Tribe Growth Fund

Established in the late 1990s and headquartered within the Southern Ute Indian Reservation in Southwestern Colorado, the Southern Ute Growth Fund manages the business investments of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe. The Growth Fund holds the Tribe’s diverse array of operating businesses and investment entities engaged in on- and off-reservation oil and gas exploration, production and gathering, carbon-neutral energy infrastructure and innovation, commercial and multifamily real estate acquisition and development, private equity fund of funds, and direct private equity investments.

About Kava Equity Partners

Kava Equity Partners is the direct private equity investment group of the Southern Ute Growth Fund. Based in Colorado, Kava Equity Partners invests long-term, patient capital in visionary management teams of lower middle market businesses seeking to build enduring value. Our ideal partners see strategic and business value in partnering with the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and are aligned with the Southern Ute values of economic empowerment, environmental stewardship, and community development. For more information, please visit: www.kavaequity.com.

 

Media Contact

Philip Nunes

BackBay Communications
phil.nunes@backbaycommunications.com

PSA Tribal Broadband Modernization Project Construction Travel Impacts on CO Hwy 151

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Melvin J. Baker, Chairman – 970.563.0100

Tribal Council Affairs – 970.563.2319

FOR RELEASE: September 23, 2022

Tribal Broadband Modernization Project Construction Travel Impacts on CO Hwy 151

Project News: Bonfire Engineering will begin construction on two separate sections as outlined in Phase I of the tribal broadband project. The first section will begin at the intersection of CO Highway 172 and CO Highway 151, heading east on CO Highway 151.

Where: Crews will start on construction at the intersection of CO Highway 172 and CO Highway 151 working east on CO Highway 151 to mile marker 12. Construction will take place along the shoulder of the roadway. Please see attached map.

What: The broadband project will include trenching, boring, and plowing to lay fiber, as well as reclamation and seeding. Construction vehicles and fiber spools will be visible on the shoulder.

When: Construction will begin on Friday, September 23, 2022, and conclude on Wednesday, November 23, 2022. Hours of operation will be from 7:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.

Travel Impact: Traffic lanes will be narrowed on both CO Highway 172. Motorists will be required to reduce speeds and travel safely around the construction taking place on the side of the road. Please remember to slow down in construction zones, eliminate distractions and drive with extra caution. Motorists are also urged to watch for ­­workers and equipment along the roadway.

In the event of an emergency or to report a reckless driver, please contact Southern Ute Police Department by dialing (970) 563-4401.

To find more information about the Tribal Broadband Modernization Project, please visit the project website at https://www.southernute-nsn.gov/broadband-modernization-project/

traffic map