Southern Ute tribal members of all ages gathered together for a meal, round dance and community social on Friday, Feb. 21. Following the potluck lunch, representatives from the Southern Ute Education Dept. and SUIMA’s language program voiced their enthusiasm for a community wide initiative, dubbed the Ute Language Immersion Project. Tribal funding and grant monies for language preservation will be allocated to ensure that tribal members, and tribal elders are directly involved in all possible aspects of making this program a success for Southern Ute, and sister tribes in their mission to teach and preserve the Ute language.