Third Quarter 2018
It is that time of the year again, and tribal members, young and old alike, have begun their fall classes. On behalf of Tribal Council, I would like to wish each and every student a successful academic year. Success can be measured in many different ways. Some measure success by working hard towards a high-grade point average while others measure success by setting and achieving small goals, working hard to accomplish these metrics and determining new milestones. A common theme to achieving any form of success is through hard work.
Another determining factor is the support students receive at home. I encourage all tribal households to prioritize education. Achieving your education could be the catalyst towards a bright future and one that holds unlimited potential.
Youth Services Initiative Committee.
In 2016, Chairman Frost directed an interest in consolidating all tribal services for the youth. The purpose and the goal was to streamline and reduce duplication of services. This committee has since reorganized and refocused their mission. The mission of the committee is to ensure collaboration and sharing of resources that demonstrate accountability, responsibility, and efficiency between Tribal entities to best serve the unique needs of Tribal and community youth, while supporting the entities individual mission statements.
On August 6, 2018, Tribal Council approved Resolution 2018-133 authorizing the land dedication for a youth skateboard park. This project has been years in the making and Tribal Council wished to make this a reality for our tribal youth, rather than a dream.
N7 Visit
The General Manager of Nike’s N7 program, Sam McCracken, will be visiting the Tribe. He will dedicate the afternoon of Tuesday, Sept. 11, touring the Southern Ute Museum, meeting with Tribal Council, and participating in youth activities at SunUte Community Center. On Wednesday, Sept. 12, he is dedicating time to the Fort Lewis College Athletic Department, which is a N7 partner school. McCracken will present a keynote address to cap off an afternoon of higher education activities on the FLC campus. The Education Department hopes to take up to 30 tribal member youth to the events.
Southern Ute Growth Fund
Here is a very important reminder that the Growth Fund Management Committee currently has two openings for Tribal Member At-Large positions. The Southern Ute Growth Fund exists for the benefit of the Tribe as a whole; therefore, it becomes vital to get tribal member involvement on the management committee. Keep in mind, we intend to make those roles much more important than they have been historically. Finding the right candidates and ensuring those who are selected perform at a high level becomes key to the success or failure of the Growth Fund over the next several years.
I encourage you to take a look at the job descriptions and to apply if you feel you are qualified. The deadline to submit an application is Wednesday, September 19, 2018. The application will be available on the Southern Ute Indian Tribe’s website and at the front desk of the Growth Fund building.
On September 27, 2018, the Growth Fund will be hosting a General Meeting for the tribal membership. This will take place at the Sky Ute Casino Resort Event Center and begin promptly at 9 a.m. Please plan to attend in person or online. The more people in attendance, the more successful the meeting will be.
Tribal Council Town Hall
The first Tribal Council Virtual Town Hall was held on Wednesday, August 1, 2018. I would consider the inaugural Tribal Council Town Hall to be a success, bringing together over 40 tribal members in person and virtually. It is my commitment to work towards continued improvement, transparency and effectiveness, and I am hopeful to get more and more off-reservation participation via WebEx. We plan for our next town hall Wednesday, November 14.