Last year saw the Southern Ute Indian Tribe strengthening many of its longstanding traditions, such as exercising tribal sovereignty and honoring our veterans, while adding new and exciting elements to life on the reservation. Monsoons in the fall brought a change of pace – though equally challenging – from the wildfires of recent years, the Tri-Ute Games drew more young athletes than ever before, and the Tribal Council, after years of deliberation, made the biggest news of the year when it announced the tribe would begin providing health insurance cards to its members. For the full list of the top news trends of 2013, see page 6.