Leaders of the Ute Tribe honor Rich Snyder, second from left, for donating property in Colorado their people. Photo: Ute Tribe

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Ute Tribe welcomes return of ancestral land in Colorado

Monday, November 5, 2018

The Ute Tribe has reclaimed a portion of its ancestral homelands.

Rich Snyder signed over the deed for the land in Colorado to the tribe in late September. The property is located near San Luis, in the southern part of the state.

“This good man reached out to the Ute Tribe, on his own, to return this land to us," Chairman Luke Duncan said in a press release. "We hope it can inspire others to take similar actions.” The Utes lived throughout Colorado before being forced out in the 1880s. While many still remain, Duncan's tribe was pushed into neighboring Utah.

“Every tribe has its own ‘Trail of Tears,’” said council member Shaun Chapoose. “This was ours.”

The tribe also recently acquired about 1,150 acres within its reservation in Utah. The tribe plans to have the land placed in trust. according to a press release.

In Colorado, the Southern Ute Tribe and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe are based in the southern part of the state, near the New Mexico border.

Read More on the Story

Colorado Landowner Returns Land to Ute Indian Tribe (KOOL 107.9 November 5, 2018)