Traditional drums rang through marble-clad halls as members of Colorado’s two Native American Tribes – the Ute Mountain Ute and Southern Ute – gathered Friday morning for Ute Day at the State Capitol.
The group soon moved to the House floor, where Tribal leaders delivered their second-annual State of the Tribes address to a joint session of the legislature. After briefly praising the state government’s Tribal engagement efforts, they also called on officials to follow through on their promises.
“Colorado, like many states, has a turbulent history with tribal governments, which includes broken promises, and ignored treaties. The Southern Ute Indian Tribe and the Ute Mountain Indian Tribe have worked hard over the past decades to overcome that difficult history,” Southern Ute Tribal Chairman Melvin J. Baker said in his address.
