A retired art history professor has donated about 700 books on Native American art and culture to the Ute Mountain Ute library.
Peter Jacobs, a professor emeritus in Colorado State University’s Department of Art and Art History, donated the books on Tuesday, Nov. 3. He stated that he was thrilled that his collection could be utilized to inspire future generations.
“I’d hate to see them go somewhere they weren’t useful, and I wanted to keep the collection intact,” he said.
Jacobs and his wife were honored at a luncheon on Tuesday as tribal officials presented him with a piece of Ute Mountain Ute pottery.
“I have the perfect place for this, because I have a bunch of empty book shelves,” Jacobs joked when accepting the gift.
Jacobs explained that he was inspired to make the donation after learning that a CSU colleague had made a similar gift to the tribe earlier this year.
Stating he feared the books could potentially end up in a yard sale, Jacobs said the books were broad and touched various Native cultures across North America, spanning from the Florida Seminoles to the Alaska Aleuts.
“I’m indebted to you,” an emotional Jacobs told two dozen Ute Mountain Ute tribal members.
Tribal officials plan to shelve the books in a new art room at the Towaoc library.
“We are so appreciative,” said tribal education director Tanya Amrine. “It’s nice to know that a big university all the way across the state has a genuine interest in us way down here.”
Jacobs’ research specialty was Native American art, especially in the Northwest. From 1980 to 2000, he spent part of every summer lecturing in British Columbia and Alaska.
tbaker@the-journal.com