The Ute Indian Tribe’s focus remains on the remaining claims in their lawsuit against the United States concerning land in eastern Utah as well as reparations. On December 16th, U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols granted the Federal Defendants motion to dismiss on 3 counts but denied the motion on the 5th and final count. The Tribe’s response in a press release issued on December 21st states that they can now proceed with their “claims to more than 1.5 million acres of land on the Uncompahgre Reservation.” Included in the release, Ute Indian Tribe Business Committee Chairman and Uncompahgre Band Representative Shaun Chapoose makes the Tribe’s perspective clear when he stated, “The Court’s order allowing our claims to proceed against the United States is long overdue. The United States promised us a new homeland in Colorado or Utah. Almost as soon as our Uncompahgre Reservation was established, the Federal government violated its trust responsibility by letting others use our lands and then took our lands and resources without Congressional approval. Secretary Haaland and the Biden Administration must take action to resolve this injustice. The Ute Indian Tribe will always fight to protect our Uintah and Ouray Reservation homelands.”
