CONRAD THOMPSON

My fellow Tribal Members,

We have to start asking difficult questions.

Is this Organization more important than its Membership?

The Tribal Members have helped to build this Organization into the wealthy powerhouse it is today. The Organization stands on a Triple A credit rating. The Rating was built on all of our Investments. However, the Membership is not allowed to use the same Triple A credit rating that we help to build as individual Investors.

We have been divided into several groups by our Organization. Those of us who have more than enough and are comfortable with the way things are now, and those of us who struggle from month to month. The Organization does this by nurturing the idea that some of us are better than the others because we have Tribal jobs.

Even though some of us have had more Opportunities, we are all the same.

How many Tribal Members work for our Organization? How many even apply?

The Organization has stated the Membership does not want to work. Meanwhile the Organization has kept the same outdated policies and procedures that might prevent the Membership from working.

How many Tribal Members hold Directors Positions?

The Organization has stated in the past, its stance is to train the Tribal Members to become Directors and Department heads. The majority of the jobs held by Tribal Members are labor positions and lower tier positions.

How many Tribal Members do we have?

The Town of Dolores has about 1017 people and they spent around $2 million on their 2021 budget.

The Town of Ignacio has roughly 1500 people and they spent $1.7 million on their budget.

We are spending A LOT more than that for services the majority of us are not receiving. What is being provided by our Organization that costs so much?

If the Organization has so much to give, shouldn’t the Organization invest some on the majority of the Tribal Members as well?

We have the power to fundamentally change our organization, if we just started voting more. Instead of competing with each other, we could just put aside our differences and work together. We could stop looking down on each other and help out with advice instead of ridicule.

Now more than ever is a moment for change.

My name is Conrad Thompson and I am running for Tribal Council.

I am very thankful for everything we have.

I am not a politician. I am a Father and a Ute man who practices our Mouche Capota Traditions daily.

Since I was a child, every year that I could, I have sang and danced and participated in our annual Pino Nuche Ceremonies. I travel to our sister tribes, the Ute mountain and Fort Duchesne Reservations, to participation in the different Ute Ceremonies throughout the year. I sing for celebrations, I sing at powwows, and I also sing for our loved ones who have passed.

I am a painter and I have made a living off of my artwork. I have a drone pilots license. I am a businessman, a motorcycle rider, a musician playing and singing in various bands, and my favorite job, a Father. I do audio editing as well as video editing. I have a 3-D printer and have gotten into making and editing my own STL files.

I live up on Cedar Point East, in the community, so I do have some idea about the problems directly affecting our Neighborhoods.

We are facing a lot of new problems as individuals and a “One size fits all plan” does not work. 

We have witnessed the largest redistribution of wealth in the history of the world. The rising cost of living, the chaotic housing market, the ever-evolving credit rating system, politics, and life in general.

If you have been paying attention, you would realize, now more than ever is a moment for a change. 

My name is Conrad Thompson.

A Vote for me is a Vote for the Membership.

MARJORIE D. BARRY

Mike Nuchu,

My name is Marjorie D. Barry and I am asking for your support to serve on the Southern Ute Tribal Council. I was born on the Southern Ute Reservation and was raised by my grandparents Bryan and Alice Washington Rock, and my late father William S. Thompson. My late husband Ben Barry was also a member of the Southern Ute Tribe. I have two adult children, Amy and Preston, eight grandchildren and four great grandchildren. I attended school in both the Ignacio and Bayfield school districts, and college at Pueblo Community College and Fort Lewis, both in Durango, Colorado.

During my career I have worked for the tribe in the Tribal Council PR department, Office of the Vice-Chairman, and the Executive Office. I worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs in the Forestry, Irrigation, Administration and Superintendent’s office, and the Indian Health Service in administration and the Optometry program. After working for the government for over 17 years, I returned to tribal employment. I worked in the Division of Gaming for 13 years, returned to college for four years (2009-2012), and then worked in the Culture Department and finally the Tribal Health Department. 

I was elected to Tribal Council in November 2019, and suddenly Covid struck; our tribal offices closed in March 2020, as did the rest of the country. This didn’t stop tribal government from working, we continued tribal operations in a new way. Along the way we discovered how ill equipped we were in providing core services, health care and education needs to our people due to our poor broad band service. Not only did covid affect the health of our people it also required that we adopt a new way of operating our tribal government. 

When I first ran for tribal office my goals were water, trust responsibility from the BIA and other government agencies, preserving our natural resources, language revitalization and culture preservation; and ensuring that vital core services continued for the membership. Not only should efforts continue on these important issues we must invest in our most important asset, our people. We must maintain our relationships with our elders and nurture our tribal youth. We must maintain good health care programs for our people, and a solid health benefits program for off-reservation heath care referrals; a sound higher education program; enhanced financial literacy programs; and agricultural services for our people who are working on land assignment improvements, just to name a few. I will continue my efforts to support these programs by utilizing my knowledge of tribal programs, policies and maintaining consistent tribal operations. 

My goals have not changed, instead the list has increased. We are working on substance abuse prevention and seeking avenues to re-establish a substance facility on the reservation. We must work on preserving our environment and being good stewards of our natural resources. Determining how we can address the need for a new Elder and Veterans facility, and a new health care facility. We must continue our working relationships with government offices and state entities to retain our water rights. Efforts must continue in order that they will be here for our future generations. Vital health care programs and substance abuse prevention must continue to address the health disparities that exist among our people. I will continue to support these efforts and bridging the gap between the membership the Tribal Council.   

Water is an important priority. When I was in college in 2011 one of my professors stated the Ogalala aquifer that supplied water to the Midwest was already being used up. Fast forward to 2022 and the water issue has worsened significantly. We need to determine projects, municipal and industrial, to use our water stored in Lake Nighthorse. We must seek funding sources to get this done. We need to establish agricultural or other projects to use the water to prevent its being used by other entities surrounding our tribal lands. We need to bring back reservations lands that are idle and get them back into production.

I will work and support efforts to continue improvements to our broadband system and getting this valuable service to tribal households outside of the Ignacio area.  

We must continue the revitalization of our Ute language. We must do all we can to support efforts to keep our language alive. We need to observe and participate in our traditional events locally, and with our sister Ute tribes and to show our children how proud we are of our heritage. We need to tell our children the stories we heard from our elders and let them know how much more there is to be a tribal member. How things were done in the not too distant past, and what we were taught as children.

Working in tribal government these many years and my term on tribal council has shown me how slowly the wheels of progress turn. The wheels must turn faster, we need to keep our shoulders to the grindstone and work towards these goals in order to keep our tribe going into perpetuity. Tribal members I am asking for your support and appreciate your vote on November 4, 2022. 

Thank you, 

Marjorie Barry

MATTHEW J. BOX

Mique Puome, Nunay nia “I am a Buffalo too”, that was a name given to me when the great Rolling Thunder buffalo was taken, for the people. Before then, I was called “Buffalo”. That name was given to me by my Grandma Dorothy Box. I am the grandson of aka nuu chi (Eddie Box Sr.) and the son Eddie Box, Betty Box, and this Pino Nuu chi community.

With great humbleness, I offer myself to serve the people as your Southern Ute Tribal Council Member.

For some time now I’ve had a vision for our tribe becoming completely self sufficient as a nation. I can see a future where my vision of sovereignty for our people comes to fruition and want to work for you as your Southern Ute Tribal Council Member to take the steps to make this a reality, for us all and those of us yet to come. I want us to keep our strengths and inherent Ute ways and see us as a united people keeping our perpetuity while we continue to strengthen and build upon the quality of life we have been blessed with. My vision, that I share and hold with you all as “our vision” honors our ancestors and speaks love and care to our children and their children. 

Our way of life, the Ute way, who we are, and where we are going must be cherished and saved for not just us, but far into the future for many generations to come. Our museum is the cradle of our knowledge and it’s still in its infancy. The Ute artifacts in this world have not found their way back home. There is much work to be done and my shared vision, with all of you, encompasses this foundation of our being and helps facilitate an environment where our way of life is protected and nurtured towards growth while maintaining our beautiful traditions. 

We Utes, aa nuu chi u, of today are not complete as a nation in this modern time. Part of my shared vision, with all of you, includes our tribe becoming self sufficient. The following are examples and steps to aid us in our goal of, how I envision us, accomplishing complete sovereignty as Southern Ute people. 

To become self sufficient and complete as a nation I’d like to help facilitate our tribe to have:

The ability to be in control of our own power grid at homes and lands within the exterior boundaries of our lands. 

The maximization of all lands and water rights in full production with a co-op to gather that resource. 

A hospital/ healthcare center, the size of the growth fund building, with a trauma helicopter pad for when time is of the essence. 

An FDCI Bank of the Southern Utes. 

Legislative uniform building codes.

and future plans for the perpetuity of our people. 

I see the above as just the beginning of my shared vision for our people and feel good knowing that if we could implement all I’ve mentioned our tribe will have an umbrella of self protection and independence as a nation. 

The complexity of this vision takes a great deal of work and I promise to be stubborn in “not giving up” and rolling up my sleeves when the work needs to be done. I would welcome the many great ideas that you, our great Southern Ute people, all hold to help further our goals to make our people prosperous and self sufficient. For example, a tribal member may have an idea where the tribe would purchase and maintain tribal homes with home insurance like Home Shield. This service would be available to all tribal members similarly to health benefits. This home insurance would benefit and serve all tribal members with many household needs and home emergencies. If the services were needed, the tribe would then react with a professional status to be the contractor who would address those home needs. This idea, that a tribal member may have, could fall apart easily unless all the answers are met, hard work is put in and support from Tribal leadership is given. If honored to be your Southern Ute Tribal Council Member I will work hard to listen and support individual member ideas and needs. I know this work is not easy but I am ready to take on the responsibilities and hard work needed to move our tribe forward in a positive and self sustaining direction. I will earnestly and with great tenacity work for us all and in turn hopefully make you all and our ancestors proud.

If honored with the position of your Southern Ute Tribal Council Member, I understand the way a council member is able to address the concerns of the people or help in assisting each of you in the services available. Not only will I stand with you and advocate for you as you navigate through the administration, but I will also be vigilant in updating and creating policies that are for the people. I will focus on and ensure that there is accountability in the budget vs. the actual services offered equally. And finally, no matter what needs to be addressed and no matter the cost, I would make sure we never veer off or back track from the financial plan that has provided the tribal trust we have today and look towards a future that not only helps us all today but builds a future that is secure and self sufficient for many generations to come.

May-kya-nu-s-ura-sapa/ I’m again humbled to speak to you all, my Ute people, and would be honored to serve you all as your Southern Ute Tribal Council Member.

Sincerely, 

Matthew J. Box 

I am a Buffalo too 

EDWARD BURCH BOX III

Miqué Tüü’aiyak’ punkikaiküm, núnay-nía, Edward Burch Box III. Nu Píinu-núu-chi. As many of you know me, I am Edward Burch Box, III. Please let me introduce myself for the ones who may not know me. I am the oldest sibling of Edward Burch and Betty Box. I was raised here on the Southern Ute Reservation. I have two sisters, Melanie Seibel and Karen Washington and two brothers, Matthew Box, and the late James Box, Jr. I am the grandson of the late Eddie B. Box Sr. and Dorothy Burch Box. The great grandson of late maternal grandparents, Sam Burch and late Clara Cloud Burch. The great-great grandson of material grandparents, late Edwin Cloud and the late Ruth Nash Cloud. The great grandson of paternal grandparents, late Jacob Box and the late Bertha Bent Box. I was raised in our Ute Culture and Tradition. I have danced in Sundance and I enjoy the spring to take part in Bear Dance.

I have lived off the reservation in several cities. Including Fort Lauderdale, Fla. and Las Vegas, Nev. I had an opportunity to be employed at the Venetian Resort Las Vegas. I was part of the team that worked to open The Palazzo. I have really enjoyed working in the hospitality business and was happy to bring my experience back home with me.

Since returning home I have worked as the Culture Coordinator for the Southern Ute Museum and the Sky Ute Casino Resort. I was the Director of New Media for the casino. I have been the Tribal Planner, Culture Preservation Director, Planning Project Coordinator, and Food Distribution Specialist for the Permanent Fund. This has provided me with the skills and knowledge of the role of administration and responsibility.     

I have served on several committees, commissions, and boards. Some of them include, the Powwow Committee, Colorado Statewide Transportation Advisory Committee, Tracks Across Border Byway Commission, La Plata Economic Development Alliance, Southern Ute Boys & Girls Club Board of Directors, Town of Ignacio Board as the Mayor Pro Tem, Southern Ute Gaming Commission as the Chairman, and Southern Colorado Community Action Agency.  

With all I have learned and gained with my return home, I am a strong advocate for the Tribal Membership. I strongly support the Committee of Elders. I know how to conduct myself in many types of collaboration while remembering my Ute traditions and culture.

I am proud to be Southern Ute. I believe our Ute culture and traditions make a good leader in today’s world.

Thank you,

Edward III

MARVIN J. PINNECOOSE

Maykh, Nuuchiu. 

My name is Marvin Pinnecoose, and I am running for an open seat on the Southern Ute Tribal Council.

I am the son of Leona Red-Pinnecoose (egap) and Guy Pinnecoose, Jr. (egap). I was born and raised on the Southern Ute Reservation and am a graduate of the Ignacio School District. Following high school graduation, I moved to Las Vegas to attend the University of Nevada, Las Vegas where I received a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and a Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurship. I was midway through graduate school where I was pursuing my Master of Business Administration with a focus on Finance when the passing of my two brothers and my mother encouraged me to return home and care for our family farm.

I moved back home in May of 2021 and immediately began working for the Cultural Preservation Department which has allowed me to learn about the formalities and procedures of the Tribe. I grew up with a strong sense of culture since my youth. At the age of 12, I became a Fancy Dancer and started traveling to powwows in the area. A few other people around my age and me were involved in the Southern Ute Youth Group which was a program to teach dancing and protocol to young dancers and singers. Working in Cultural Preservation, I now know that this program existed long before I joined, as many of you can attest, and has since taken on various forms since then. In this discipline, I give much thanks to the late Elwood Kent, Gerald Howe, Orion Box, Tim Jefferson, Shirley Goodtracks, and countless other people who were just as important in molding and motivating me. I have tried to give back to this effort when I returned home by having Native Dance Class down at the MPF center on Wednesday nights for almost four months. I have been active in Bear Dancing and Singing since I was in middle school. I have become a Cat Man for the Tribe and pride myself on helping out at all five Bear Dances when possible. My mentors who helped mold me were the late Neil Cloud, and most of the current Bear Dance Chiefs of all three Ute Tribes. I am also a Sun Dancer and was blessed to dance under both the late Eddie Box Sr. and the late Neil Cloud. I would say that my mentor in the Sun Dance corral was the late Taka Goodtracks.

I spent much time bouncing around in temporary jobs while in high school and college. I worked for B.I.A. roads, irrigation, and forestry. I worked for the Lands Division, Property and Supply, Construction Services, and Building Maintenance within the Tribe. While in Las Vegas, I worked 19 years for Nike and worked my way up from a part-time sales associate to a corporate liaison of Native American projects (such as field feedback and development for N7). I was involved in the Retail Diversity Council of Nike and my focus was on employee morale and retention. I became a store manager within a 31-million-dollar store, and we were ranked 2nd in the company.

I also worked five years at Amazon in the return’s fulfillment center in Las Vegas. I was an Operations Manager and directly supervised over 350 people on any given shift. My leadership style is hybrid of Delegation & Follow-up, and that is for accountability reasons, but also Lead-By-Example, which is to inspire and show the team the speed and accuracy of the job I was asking them to do.

I am blessed to have a strong family. I am from the Pinnecoose family on my dad’s side and the Red family on my mom’s side. My wife Frances is from the Kent family and has been by my side for over 25 years. We are blessed to have a 23-year-old daughter Bree, who is a pastry chef and has just finished her first role at the Venetian Hotel & Casino and now owns her own business. We also have a 19-year-old son, Shyden, who is currently serving in the U.S. Army in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. 

My strong belief in family, education, and performance helps to drive results in day-to-day operations, tactical decision making, and strategic planning. I wake up with the belief that everyday should be better than yesterday. Last year’s metrics can always be better. Learning from our experiences make us stronger for the future. Specializing in employee morale and retention has helped me see that Empowered employees can make a difference because they perform at high standards consistently, they have a sense of ownership in their work, they call out less often, and they are willing to be flexible outside of their scope of regular duties. An efficient workplace can do more with less people and it invites a healthy happy environment where minds can thrive, and work can be both fun and rewarding.

This mindset and my passion for performance is what I want to bring while serving on OUR Southern Ute Tribal Council.

Thank you 

Marvin Pinnecoose