Tribes in Colorado are leading an effort to find suitable locations to rebury ancestral remains.

The Southern Ute Tribe and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe convened a group to identify places on state and federal land where remains and artifacts could be reburied. They will be presenting their work to the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act Review Committee in May.

“One of things we’re finding out is that Colorado is being watched and the two Ute tribes being watched by everyone,” Ute Mountain Ute Vice Chairman Bradley High told The Durango Herald. “We are the leaders.”

The Ute tribes previously lead a group that developed a policy for dealing with remains that can't be tied to a specific tribe. The federal government used the policy as a model for national regulations on the matter.

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The long road to a final resting place (The Durango Herald 3/11)