Nuchu: Planning Our Vision

NUCHU

Planning Our Vision

Building on the History, Culture, and Resiliency of Ute People

NUCHU

Planning Our Vision

Building on the History, Culture, and Resiliency of Ute People

SUMMARY REPORT

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

According to tribal histories, the Ute people have lived in the mountains and vast areas of present-day Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Arizona since the beginning of time. Today, the Ute are divided among three reservations, the UintahOuray in northeastern Utah, the Southern Ute in Colorado, and the Ute Mountain Ute in Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico. Sharing common heritage and ancestry, but separated by hundreds of miles, the three Ute groups have established separate “sister tribes” that are independently governed but coordinate to support all Ute whenever possible.

Like many tribal communities nationwide, the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe reservation reports high levels of poverty, low levels of education, and unemployment rates that double state averages. Teen birth rates are among the highest in the nation, addiction and behavioral health challenges are serious social ills, and the average life expectancy continues to hover at just 55 years. The 2,100 UMUT members face a severe housing shortage, and a shortage of water, healthy food, quality healthcare, educational opportunities, and high paying jobs. The Ute Mountain Ute Tribe believes that the most effective and sustainable pathway towards a brighter future is the reclamation of the rich and nuanced traditions, history, and language of the Ute People.

To proactively seek partnership and funding to address deep-rooted economic and social challenges, UMUT hosted the first-ever Ute Mountain Ute Tribe Native National Partnership Retreat in 2015, bringing state, federal and private funding partners together to understand the comprehensive needs of the Tribe and help refine tribally designed solutions to align with current funding opportunities. Forty funding partners attended the event, and UMUT has leveraged their active participation into more than$140 million in new grants over the past eight years.

As recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic continues to realign priorities and needs, it was time again to meet and coordinate with state, federal, and private partners. NUCHU: Planning Our Vision was held in August 2023, with over 50 funding partners in attendance. The two-day event allowed UMUT leadership and tribal members to explain current priorities and potential strategies. Together, the assembled group of tribal representatives, funding partners, and consultants brainstormed opportunities to sustainably blend need and opportunity while honoring and respecting tribal culture and traditions. UMUT hopes to generate $240 million in new funding over the next five years as a result of this important work. If you have funding opportunities that could help meet the needs of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe please contact:

CHAIrmaN mANUEL HEaRT

The Ute Mountain Ute Tribe’s reservation is in Montezuma County, Colorado and San Juan County, Utah. The Ute Mountain Ute people have lived on this land for over 100 years. Today, the homelands for the Weeminuche, or Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, total about 600,000 acres. The tribal lands are on what’s known as the Colorado Plateau, a high desert area with deep canyons carved through the mesas. Towaoc is secreted away southwest of Mesa Verde National Park and northeast of scenic Monument Valley. Ute Mountain Ute Tribe (UMUT) has a membership of about 2,100. Most Tribal members live on the reservation in Towaoc, with a smaller population in

the White Mesa community. This is a harsh, isolated land, with no nearby cities to provide specialty services for the residents living on tribal lands. There is a severe housing shortage, widespread poverty, a shortage of water, healthy food, quality healthcare and educational opportunities and high paying jobs. Over 40% of the population live in poverty and the average life expectancy is only 55 years in comparison to 76 years in the United States. The purpose of the 2023 Ute Mountain Ute Tribe Native National Partnership Retreat called NUCHU: Planning Our Vision was to build relationships with state, federal, and private funding partners to help identify resources to address these challenges. Eight major capital projects were prioritized and planned to be “shovel ready” in preparation for funding opportunities that will become available in the next five years.

BErNAdETTE CUTHAIR

As Planning Director for the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and Interim Economic Development Specialist, my job is to plan major infrastructure projects that will benefit our tribal members. One of my job responsibilities is to administer a five-year Partnership Planning Grant funded by the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) and produce a Comprehensive Economic Strategies Plan (CEDS) that serves as a means to engage community leaders, leverage the involvement of the private sector, and establish a strategic blueprint for regional, state and federal collaboration. As such, I was honored to work with Chairman Heart, Reiner Lomb and Beverly Santicola to design and develop the Tribe’s second Native National Partnership Retreat called NUCHU: Planning Our Vision. We designed NUCHU: Planning Our Vision to produce a tribally-driven plan to build capacity and guide the economic prosperity and resiliency of the Tribe and its neighbors. Projects planning in this Retreat will be included in the 2023 UMUT CEDS and available by contacting me. Our previous plan can be seen at: www.centerforruraloutreach.org/projects-gallery/ comprehensive-economic-strategies-ceds-brochure

C E R E MoN Y ANd R IT Ual S

Ceremony and rituals have long played a vital and essential role in the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe culture. Spirituality is an integral part of their very being. At the start of each day, Tribal Council leaders (Chairman Manuel Heart, Darwin Whiteman, Jr. and Malcolm Lehi) prayed for strength and wisdom to conquer life’s difficulties and to prepare our hearts and minds for new possibilities. Upon opening the session to funding partners on August 3, 2023, Stephan Hatch played the flute. At the end of the retreat, a song was sung in Ute by Councilman Lyndreth Wall, Sr. to close the event.

Manuel Heart Darwin Whiteman, Jr. Malcolm Lehi Lyndreth Wall, Sr. Stephan Hatch

TESTI mo NI al

I appreciated having the opportunity to attend this year’s Retreat. The work that the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe has been able to accomplish over the last eight years, as a result of these vision sessions, is truly impressive. I will continue to look for both technical and financial support programs that the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe can use to advance your identified goals.

Greg Thomason Senior Program Manager Rural Opportunity Representative, Eastern Plains

O: 720-520-5081

greg.thomason@state.co.us oedit.colorado.gov

TESTI mo NI al

I thought the format was extremely accessible and allowed the opportunity to ask questions and ideate as a group around potential resources for each project. It was well paced and provided a means for us to connect directly to the tribal representatives responsible for leading each project, while also networking with funding peers interested in partnering and investing in Native communities in Colorado. Overall, I thought it was a wonderful event, and I wish other tribes would do something similar to help open up lines of communication, and hopefully unlock future investment.

Emilie Ellis Senior Program Officer The Colorado Health Foundation

O: 303-953-3619

M: 310-617-2354

eellis@coloradohealth.org coloradohealth.org

T R I bAl C O U N CI l

Conrad Jacket Councilman conrad.jacket@utemountain.org

Lyndreth Wall, Sr. Secretary lyndreth.wall@utemountain.org

Manuel Heart Chairman manuel.heart@utemountain.org

Selwyn Whiteskunk Councilman selwyn.whiteskunk@utemountain.org

Darwin Whiteman, Jr. Treasurer darwin.whiteman.jr@utemountain.org

Malcolm Lehi White Mesa Councilman malcolm.lehi@utemountain.org

Alston Turtle Vice Chairman alston.turtle@utemountain.org

T R I bAl l E ad E r S

Scott Clow Environmental Director sclow@utemountain.org

Patrick Littlebear Grants & Contracts Administrator plittlebear@utemountain.org

Ron Scott Chief Financial Officer rscott@utemountain.org

Ben Elmore Weeminuche Construction Authority belmore@wcaconstruction.com

James Melvin Weeminuche Construction Authority jmelvin@wcaconstruction.com

John Trocheck Executive Director jtrocheck@utemountain.org

Lee Trabaudo UMUT Public Works/ Broadband ltrabaudo@utemountain.org

Bernadette Cuthair Planning Director bcuthair@utemountain.org

Joe Lopez Weeminuche Construction Authority jlopez@wcaconstruction.com

Miles Sturdevant Weeminuche Construction Authority msturdevant@wcaconstruction.com

Nicki Green Legal Counsel ngreen@utemountain.org

Dyllon Mills Kwiyagat Community Academy Dmills@utekca.org

Marie Heart Staff Development Coordinator mlansing@utemountain.org

Dan Porter Kwiyagat Community Academy Dporter@utekca.org

STATE REP r ESENTATIVES

Helen Katich US Senator Hickenlooper’s Office Helen_Katich@hickenlooper.senate.gov

Max Hayes US Senator Bennet Office max_haynes@bennet.senate.gov

Kathryn Redhorse Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs kathryn.redhorse@state.co.us

EVENT or G a NIZERS

EVENT PLANNER

Beverly Santicola is an award-winning film producer, social entrepreneur, idea generator, problem solver, program developer, project facilitator, public speaker, and grant writing consultant. Over the past ten years Santicola has focused her expertise and energy in the arenas of community development and collaborative partnership building for Native American Tribes. Working with a team of professional grant writers that have generated more than ONE BILLION in grant funding for clients and more than $140 million for the UMUT, she has been nationally recognized for social innovation and leadership excellence by the US Department of Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, as well as Encore.org as a 2010 and 2014 Purpose Prize Fellow sponsored by the Atlantic Philanthropies and John Templeton Foundation.

bevsanticola@outlook.com

LEAD FACILITATOR

Reiner Lomb is the President and Founder of BoomerangCoach. His mission is to mobilize and develop leaders that help create a more sustainable and positive future for all. That’s why he decided over a decade ago, at the height of his corporate career, to follow his passion and become an Executive Coach, specialized in leadership development, innovation and transformational change. Reiner is the author of two books, ASPIRE: Seven Essential Emotions for Leading

Positive Change, No Matter Where You Are

and The Boomerang Approach: Return to Purpose, Ignite Your Passion (sold on Amazon). His expertise draws on more than 35 years of experience in global management roles in the U.S. and Germany and spans multiple industries with companies such as Hewlett-Packard, Sperry Univac (Unisys) and several European Companies.

Beverly Santicola CROPS

Reiner Lomb BoomerangCoach reiner.lomb@boomerangcoach.com

EVENT or G a NIZERS C oN TI NU E d

GRAPHICAL RECORDER

Karina Branson is a visual facilitator, founder, and owner of ConverSketch where she uses hand-drawn images and text to reflect and distill the key ideas as graphic recording charts. With a master’s degree in science communication, Karina’s scientific training and an innate ability to connect with people across cultures creates a unique blend of intelligences that enable her to synthesize and creatively capture meaningful content. She has facilitated and supported collaborative strategic planning, community engagement, innovative brainstorming and critical systems thinking to help groups move forward and into action. She has worked across academic, corporate, governmental, and non-profit sectors. Her clients are local and international, including Adobe, Cisco Systems, International Science Council, Future Earth, and others.

Karina Branson

ConverSketch

karina@conversketch.com

PHOTOGRAPHER

Anthony Two Moons

Anthony Two Moons Photography

a2moons@gmail.com

Anthony Two Moons is an Indigenous artist and photographer of Arapaho, A:Shiwi and Diné lineages. Following his studies he started his career in New York City as a fashion photographer, and continues today as a photographer and director based in New York and working everywhere. His work has appeared in publications around the world. He is the author of multiple award winning books, including Growing Ute: Preserving The Language and Culture, volumes 1 & 2, and Wíssiv Káav Tüvüpüa (Ute Mountain Lands). Anthony recognizes the extraordinary privilege and abundance of knowledge he has gained while working with exceptional talent and experienced individuals throughout his career. As an Indigenous professional photographer and artist, equity plays a vital role in Anthony Two Moons’ work with Indigenous communities. He strives to create a collaborative and inclusive environment where Indigenous voices, stories, and perspectives are honored and amplified.

F a CI l IT a T or S

Dr.

“Chepa” Rank Center for Rural Outreach & Public Services cheparank@gmail.com

Region 9 Economic Development District laura@region9edd.org

Marc Santicola Santicola & Company mhsanticola@outlook.com

Montezuma County Economic Development jthurman@co.montezuma.co.us

Caleb Seeling Economic Development Administration cseeling@eda.gov

Trent Thompson Economic Development Administration tthompson@eda.gov

Azulai Indian Health Service

Naomi.Azulai@ihs.gov

Laura Marchino Lewis

Melita

Jessica Thurman

Naomi

C o NSU lTING P a RTNERS

FUN d ING P a RTNERS

ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES

Varonica Wagner varonica.wagner@acf.hhs.gov

AMERICORPS MOUNTAIN REGION

Amy Busch ABusch@cns.gov.

Jill Sears JSears@cns.gov

BIA DIVISION OF ENERGY AND MINERAL DEVELOPMENT

Albert Bond albert.bond@bia.gov

Kevin Carey Kevin.Carey@bia.gov

Duane Matt duane.matt@bia.gov

BIA DIVISION OF WATER AND POWER, SAFETY OF DAMS BRANCH

Chad Krofta chad.krofta@bia.gov

COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND SOUTHWEST WORKFORCE CENTERS

Ray Lucero ray.lucero@state.co.us

COLORADO ENERGY OFFICE

Christine Berg christine.berg@state.co.us

Ida Mae Isaac Idamae.isaac@state.co.us Issamar Pichardo issamar.pichardo@state.co.us

COLORADO HEALTH FOUNDATION

Emilie Ellis EEllis@coloradohealth.org

Khanh Nguyen knguyen@ColoradoHealth.org

COLORADO HOUSING AND FINANCE AUTHORITY

Jerilynn Francis jfrancis@chfainfo.com

Chris Lopez cslopez@chfainfo.com

COLORADO RURAL WORKFORCE CONSORTIUM

Suzie Miller suzie.miller@state.co.us

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION

Caleb Seeling cseeling@eda.gov

Trent Thompson tthompson@eda.gov

HEALTH RESOURCES AND SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

Cherri Pruitt Cpruitt@hrsa.gov

HUD

Cheryl Cozad Cheryl.R.Cozad@hud.gov

Lori L. Roget Lori.L.Roget@hud.gov

INDIAN HEALTH SERVICES

Naomi Azulai Naomi.Azulai@ihs.gov

KEYSTONE POLICY CENTER

Ernest House, Jr. ehouse@keystone.org

NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION REGION 8

Gina Espinosa-Salcedo gina.espinosa-salcedo@dot.gov

Kate Kowalski Horrocks kate.kowalski@horrocks.com

Matt Balka FSA Advisory Group mbalka@fsa-ag.com

Hillary Fulton Horrocks hillary@hopeful.consulting

Richard Fulton Fort Lewis College fulton_r@fortlewis.edu

Heather McDaniel Horrocks heather.mcdaniel@horrocks.com

ROCKY MOUNTAIN HEALTH FOUNDATION

Julie Hinkson julie@rmhealth.org

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

Shayla Hagburg Shayla.Hagburg@ssa.gov

Ivy Heuton Ivy.Heuton@ssa.gov

STATE OF COLORADO BROADBAND OFFICE

Kristen Perry kristen.perry@state.co.us

STATE OF COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF LOCAL AFFAIRS

Jacquelyn Stanton jacquelyn.stanton@state.co.us

STATE OF COLORADO DIVISION OF HOUSING

Shirley Diaz shirley.diaz@state.co.us

STATE OF COLORADO OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE

Jeff Kraft jeff.kraft@state.co.us

Greg Thomason greg.thomason@state.co.us

SUBSTANCE ABUSE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE ADMINISTRATION

Traci Pole Traci.Pole@samhsa.hhs.gov Dr. Charles Smith Charles.Smith@samhsa.hhs.gov

US CENSUS

Kimberly Davis Kimberly.Ann.Davis@census.gov

US DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE — FARM SERVICE AGENCY

Brandon Terrazas Brandon.Terrazas@usda.gov

US DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE — RURAL DEVELOPMENT

Irene Etsitty irene.etsitty@usda.gov

Robert McElroy robert.mcelroy@usda.gov

Amy Mund amy.mund@usda.gov

Debby Rehn Debby.Rehn@usda.gov

Allison Ruiz allison.ruiz@usda.gov

US DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Lily Griego lily.griego@hhs.gov

Amy Horrell amy.horrell@hhs.gov

US DEPARTMENT OF LABOR — EEOC Patricia McMahon patricia.mcmahon@eeoc.gov

US FOREST SERVICE

Sherry Fountain sherry.fountain@usda.gov

Kristin Schmitt kristin.schmitt@usda.gov

US SENATE

Max Hayes, Senator Bennet’s Office max_haynes@bennet.senate.gov

Helen Katich, Senator Hickenlooper’s Office Helen_Katich@hickenlooper.senate.gov

Scott Beecham IndieDwell sbeecham@indiedwell.com

Carlos Romo Souder Miller Associates carlos.romo@soudermiller.com

Tim Reinen Reinen Consulting, LLC tim@reinenconsulting.com

Colin Daly Souder Miller Associates colin.daly@soudermiller.com

Nathan Lillie Native Strategies, LLC nlillie@native-strategies.com

TESTI mo NI al

What a honor to be asked to assist with the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe Native National Partnership Retreat for the second time!

I am so in awe with the event and huge amount of collaboration and opportunity that has come from it.

Charles H. Smith, PhD, MA Regional Director Substance Abuse and

Mental Health Services Administration

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Region VIII

O: (303) 844-7873

M: (720) 441-9995

charles.smith@samhsa.hhs.gov samhsa.gov

TESTI mo NI al

As a federal officer, I have partnered with the Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Nation over the past eight years, and in every interaction with them, there are two words that perfectly describe their character as a people: Visionary and Determined. They are visionary in how they develop creative ways to strengthen their community and economy, and partner with their neighbors (Region 9, Montezuma County, state government, federal government). And they are determined to execute that vision to improve the livelihoods of all their members. The Nuchu planning process that took place in early August, without a doubt, exemplified all that I have experienced from working with the Tribe and its leaders. Tribal leadership always strives to represent its people, and EDA is proud to consider itself a partner with the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe. I know that any project that Tribal leadership discusses with EDA, is a community driven project.

Trent Thompson Economic Development Representative for Colorado Economic Development Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce

O: 303.319.6940 tthompson@eda.gov eda.gov

THE W o RK

The idea behind the Native National Partnership Retreat

The idea for the Native National Partnership Retreat was the brainchild of Beverly Santicola, founder and Executive Director of the Center for Rural Outreach and Public Services, Inc. (CROPS) when hearing from Chairman Manuel Heart that the Tribe was given only a short time each year to talk to each federal funding agency in Washington, DC about their needs in Tribal Consultations. Santicola wondered “what if” we could flip the tables and bring the funders to us – all together in one room to hear the comprehensive needs of the Tribe in one day, as well as help refine their tribally designed solutions to align with current funding opportunities?

By working with Reiner Lomb (author of “Aspire” – which includes a section on Chairman Heart’s leadership) the team co-designed the first ever Ute Mountain Ute Tribe Native National Partnership Retreat. Planning for the event took three months of agenda development and refinement, coordinating logistics, and recruiting funding partners to attend.

In the beginning we felt that if we could recruit at least 10 funding partners to hear the Tribe’s story, the event would be a success. Much to our surprise, and with the help of Dr. Charles Smith (SAMHSA) we recruited 40 funding partners to attend the first retreat in 2015 called Walking in Our Moccasins – a name inspired by Chairman Heart to invite the Tribe’s consultants and funding partners to feel what it is like to be Ute.

Over the past eight years since the first retreat, the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe has generated more than $140M in new grants as shown below. More information about the approach of the 2015 Retreat can be found in Reiner Lomb’s article: “Catching the Dream of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe – A Glimmer of Hope in a Native ‘National Emergency.’”*

*https:// www.huffpost.com/entry/catching-the-dream-of-the-ute-mountain-ute-tribe_b_7698572

GRANT AMOUNTS BY ISSUE

THE W o RK C o NTINUE d

With the help of Dr. Smith and their entire Region 8 Health and Human Services staff, as well as USDA Rural Development, we recruited over 50 state, federal and private partners to attend NUCHU: Planning Our Vision in August 2023 and hope to generate $240M in new funding over the next five years.

This time the event planning and facilitation team, including Beverly Santicola and Reiner Lomb, in cooperation with UMUT Planning Director, Bernadette Cuthair interviewed some of the funding partners ahead of the retreat to better understand their needs and interest in the type of projects they would like fund.

This was designed to pave a two-way street to achieve a better alignment between UMUT needs and funding partners interests.

In 2023, more than 50 state, federal and private partners attended the retreat.

THE VISI o N

HOUSING

Rehabilitation, Multi-Family, Single Family, Service Based

GROCERY STORE

Workforce Innovation Center

K-16 EDUCATION

Kwiyagat Community Academy

HEALTHCARE FACILITY EXPANSION

Primary, Vision, Dental, Behavioral Health

Housing Factory for Jobs, Housing, Revenue

RENEWABLE ENERGY

Solar Energy for Independence, Jobs, and Economic Development

TRANSPORTATION

Paving UMU 201 Anneth Road to Farm & Ranch

CORTEZ

Housing and Community Development

GOAL 1 $85M

Má Nurni Káán (Homes)

●

●

●

● Building service based housing

GOAL 2 $14M

Nuchu Cultural Center & Market

● Grocery Store

● Workforce Innovation Center

ACTION STEPS

MILESTONES AND TIMELINES RESPONSIBILITY

Construction - Phase 1 Groundbreaking (6-9 Months)

Business Plan Operational Structure/Staff (9 Months)

Value Chain Coordination Hire VCC (1 Year)

Activation

Funding

Arts, Culture, Food (15 Months)

$12M Secured (2 Years)

Construction – Phase 2 Phase 2 Completed (2-3 Years)

Planning

Steering Committee

Horrocks

Farm & Ranch

Tribal Programs

GOAL 3 $20M

ACTION STEPS

MILESTONES AND TIMELINES

RESPONSIBILITY

Architectural Design Design Complete (1 Year) KCA and Tribe

Funding $20M Funding Secured (2 Years) Grant Writers

Construction KCA Expands to 6 Grades (3-5 Years) Contractors

Kwiyagat Community Academy (KCA)

GOAL 4 $40M

Mógúán Health and Wellness Clinic

● Primary ● Vision ● Dental ● Behavioral Health

ACTION STEPS

MILESTONES AND TIMELINES RESPONSIBILITY

Determine Services and Partners Facility Planning (3 Months)

Tribal Council

Affirm Location Location Confirmed (3 Months) AAIHB

Design and Engineering EA/PER Complete (1 Year)

IHS

Construction Contractors Selected (1-2 Years) USDA

Pursue 638 Designation

Apply for 638 status (1-2 Years) Contractors

Secure Sustainability Third Party Billing

Recruit Staff 75% staffed (1-3 Years)

Open Dialysis Clinic Dialysis Services (2 Years)

Relocate MBH for Expansion MBH Relocated (2 Years)

Grant Writers

Diabetes Program

MBH Program

GOAL 5 $15M ACTION

GOAL 6 $6-11M

Towaoc Community Solar

● Solar Energy For Independence, Jobs and Economic Development

ACTION STEPS

MILESTONES AND TIMELINES

Location Select and Predesign EA/ NEPA/PER (1 Year)

Identify Funding Partners 3-5 Funding Partners (6 Months)

Research Cost of Materials Project Plan (1 Year

Secure Funding $6 Million Secured (1-2 Years)

Requests for Proposals Revenue Generated (2 Years)

Construction Solar Plant Operations (2 Years)

RESPONSIBILITY

EPD

Renewable Team

Grant Writers

Engineering

Contractors

GOAL 7 $41.5M

Transportation: UMU 201 Aneth Road

● Paving Road to Farm & Ranch

ACTION STEPS

MILESTONES AND TIMELINES RESPONSIBILITY

Construction Phase 1 Complete (6 Months) Grant Writers

Planning EA and PER for Phase 2 (9 Months) Planning

Funding for 16 Miles Complete 2 Miles (15 Months) Tribal Council

Phase 3 Design $41.5M Obtained (1-3 Years) Consultants

Phase 3 Construction RFP and Design (1-2 Years) Contractors

Construction 5 Miles Paved Annually (2-4 Years)

Cortez-Towaoc Watermain Replacement

K E Y FA C ToR S To S U CC E SS

⊲ Honor and respect tribal culture and traditions

⊲ Empower tribal leaders to use strength and passion-based problem solving

⊲ Solve multiple problems that can be systemically and holistically integrated

⊲ Provide for highly experienced facilitators and graphical recording throughout

⊲ Encourage tribal leaders to tell stories of their personal or member struggles

⊲ Design projects for multi-year, multi-agency funding opportunities

TESTI mo NI al

I have been raving about your retreat organization, format, execution, follow-up, etc.

Thank you!

Gina Mia Espinosa-Salcedo Regional Administrator

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Region 8

O: 720-963-3100

M: 720-854-5124 gina.espinosa-salcedo@dot.gov

TESTI mo NI al

The Ute Mountain Ute Tribe (UMUT) and Center for Rural Outreach and Public Services, Inc. (CROPS) are happy to announce that Sara Overby will be joining our capacity building team on September 1, 2023 as Executive Director for CROPS to assist with the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe’s capital fund development and capacity needs. Sara earned a Master Degree of Public Administration from the University of Colorado in 2015, and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management from Oklahoma State University. She worked for Colorado Health Foundation from 2010 to 2022 where she created multi-million dollar funding initiatives for strategic priorities. She brings her passions for health equity, building organizations, and creative problem solving. She began working with CROPS in 2016 and led the first partnerships between CHF and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe. If you have funding opportunities for the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, wish to schedule a Zoom call, or want to plan a site visit, please contact Bernadette Cuthair (UMUT), Beverly Santicola or Sara Overby (CROPS).

This well-organized gathering pulled together important leaders of the Tribe and provided an invigorating opportunity to learn about projects underway. The retreat gave attendees an inside look into the needs of the community with easy to navigate opportunities to explore how funders can dovetail their programs with community projects for collective solutions.

Sara Overby Community Partner

M: 303-883-3621 soverby.crops@gmail.com

INVITATI o N T o VISIT

We invite you to visit the Ute Mountain Ute reservation to see first-hand our needs and challenges. To plan your visit or discuss funding opportunities please contact:

Bernadette Cuthair, Planning Director

Ute Mountain Ute Tribe

125 Mike Wash Road Towaoc, CO 81334

970-238-0129

bcuthair@utemountain.org

Overhead view of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe Annual Bear Dance.

This retreat was funded by the Colorado Health Foundation through a capacity building grant to benefit the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe.

Khanh Nguyen, The Colorado Health Foundation