Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns

Opinion: Tribal Nations must be at the table to find the West’s water solutions

In southwestern Colorado, multiple years of hot and dry conditions have drained many of our reservoirs. This year we expect that a section of the Pine River, which runs through the heart of the Southern Ute Reservation, will run completely dry due to dry conditions and irrigation diversions by Tribal and non-Tribal irrigators. Unfortunately, what’s […]

Posted inClimate, Environment, News, Wildfire

100 firefighters work to contain Bear Dance fire threatening Ignacio, Southern Ute tribal campus

About 100 firefighters continued to battle the Bear Dance fire on Saturday, a wildfire that flared to life just after noon Friday and threatened the town of Ignacio and the Southern Ute Tribal campus in southwest Colorado. Fire crews were working to set a perimeter around the fire that had by 3:40 p.m. Saturday consumed […]

Posted inCOVID, News

High case numbers drive southwest Colorado tribes to revive COVID restrictions

The Ute Mountain Ute and Southern Ute Indian Tribes in southwestern Colorado have revived coronavirus restrictions on gatherings, hoping to quell coronavirus case numbers that have risen to the highest point since the pandemic began in 2020, according to tribal spokespeople.  The Ute Mountain Ute tribal council Monday imposed its second-most stringent coronavirus precautions — […]

Posted inColoradans, Culture, Education, News, Politics and Government

New Colorado law banning most American Indian mascots forces schools to confront cultural shifts

Faced with a new state law requiring the elimination of most American Indian mascots, a handful of Colorado schools are delving into their histories and having community-wide discussions about what a nickname, mascot or logo should represent. In Lamar, that means sticking by its Savages nickname, even if images and logos must be changed. And […]

Posted inColoradans, Education, News, Politics and Government

Indigenous students say they need more from Colorado universities. An in-state tuition bill is a first step.

By Jason Gonzales, Chalkbeat Colorado Indigenous students with historical ties to Colorado could soon get in-state tuition at public colleges under a proposal that recently cleared its first legislative hurdle.  Student advocates say the bill is part of a broader push on how Colorado schools need to address injustice against Indigenous people and ensure all […]