Both Ute Mountain Ute and Southern Ute tribal leaders requested infrastructure aid from state officials and greater cultural understanding from citizens during a six-hour Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs meeting last week in Towaoc.

Ute Mountain Ute Chairman Manuel Heart explained that the first line to provide treated drinking water to the 2,100 people in Towaoc had started to fail. Set in 1992, the decades old infrastructure, which spans about 30 miles, had three breaks in March alone. Repairs totaled nearly $1 million, said Heart.

Southern Ute Chairman Clement Frost said his tribe was also experiencing water issues, citing the 1,400 people in Ignacio lacked adequate resources to maintain irrigation ditches. Southern Ute farmers are one month behind in production, said Frost.

"Without water, we really suffer," said Frost, citing he sympathized with water woes on the Ute Mountain Ute reservation.

Lt. Gov. Joseph Garcia chaired the CCIA meeting on Friday, May 29. In addition to both Heart and Frost, the 15-member panel also included Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs executive director Ernest House, Jr., as well as representatives from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, Colorado Department of Transportation, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Colorado Department of Education, Colorado Department of Human Services, History Colorado and Colorado Department of Healthcare Policy and Financing.

Colorado Department of Local Affairs official Ken Charles said his agency would be willing to help work on tribal water issues.

Climate change

Citing the area's recent funnel cloud sighting, Heart eluded that more severe weather could be possible in the Four Corners because of climate change. He proposed possible U.S. Department of Homeland Security funding to install a Doppler weather radar on Ute Mountain Ute lands. Currently, the area sits in a "black hole" for adequate weather-related warnings, said Heart.

"Partnership is the true word that's going to make things change," said Heart as he proposed a Native American Summit with Gov. John Hickenlooper.

Native mascots

Addressing the elephant in the room at last week's meeting, Frost was obviously frustrated over failed legislation that would have prohibited the state's public schools from utilizing Native American images as mascots. Frost explained that Natives were often buried with such items as war bonnets and tomahawks, for example, and those type of logos shouldn't be used in a way that's abusive.

"You earn the war bonnet," said Frost. "It's not just a symbol."

"People need to recognize and be conscious of the meaning behind these images," he added.

Both House and Garcia vowed to keep the mascot discussion alive across the state to develop greater cultural understanding, and perhaps have schools voluntarily work to dissolve "offensive images and names."

"We want to create more opportunities for dialogue," said Garcia.