Ute Mountain Ute Tribe

The man accused of killing a 7-year-old Towaoc boy in December has been indicted by a federal grand jury. And the group that claims it owns 1,460 acres of national-forest land near Mancos has filed a response to a lawsuit filed against its members by the U.S. government.

The man accused of killing a 7-year-old Ute Mountain Ute boy early on Dec. 11 in Towaoc later bragged about shooting up the mobile home where the boy died.

A member of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe is being sought in the killing of a 7-year-old boy in Towaoc. The FBI is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the man’s arrest and conviction.

Following the shooting death of a 7-year-old Towaoc boy, Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Chairman Manuel Heart is calling for an end to the firing of weapons in Towaoc, as well as more officers in Indian Country.

20 years after the murder of a Native American man on the Ute Mountain Ute reservation, the FBI says it’s offering a new $10,000 reward for any information about the crime. On January 31, 2004, a Towaoc resident named Avery Whiteskunk went missing and was later found dead near County Road G. An FBI bulletin released on Monday said anyone with information about the individual responsible should contact its Denver field office. Whiteskunk is one of 27 cold case homicides involving tribal citizens in Colorado, according to statistics from a newly-created state office. And the Rico Board of Trustees is considering pursuing dark sky certification for the town. At a trustee meeting earlier this month, a representative from Dark Sky Colorado said that the certification could preserve Rico residents’ views of the starry night sky by changing the land-use code or ordinance that regulates lighting in the town, according to the Ore Cart.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife reached an agreement to collect the wolves in Washington for release sometime next winter. However, the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe in southwest Colorado says they were never meaningfully consulted by the state about the reintroduction of wolves or the consequences it could have for tribal ranchers on the West Slope.

As many as 15 gray wolves could be reintroduced to Colorado’s Western Slope next winter, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife. It’s a move that concerns the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe in southwest Colorado. CPW reached an agreement with the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation last week to collect the wolves on the tribes’ land in eastern Washington. 10 wolves from Oregon were released in Colorado last month, the first batch under the state’s reintroduction plan. However, the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe says they were never properly consulted about the decision to reintroduce wolves to the state or the potential impacts it could have on the sovereign nation. And Mesa Verde National Park is asking for the public’s help in locating a 73-year-old man who went missing while hiking on a trail last week. Thomas Irwin was last seen hiking Petroglyph Point Trail last Monday.

Energy Fuels Resources says that it plans to stockpile and eventually process the uranium at its White Mesa mill facility in southeastern Utah, the last of its kind still operating in the U.S. A tribe located near the mill facility opposes the increase in uranium production due to concerns over air pollution.

The first conventional uranium mining done in the U.S. in eight years is underway at three mines in Utah and Arizona. Energy Fuels Resources says that it plans to stockpile and eventually process the uranium at its White Mesa mill facility in southeastern Utah, the last of its kind still operating in the U.S. Scott Clow is the environmental programs director for the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, which is located near the White Mesa mill. Clow says he and the tribe oppose the increase in uranium production, citing the potential for a rise in air pollution for tribal residents living near the mill. He’s also concerned about the contamination of groundwater. Energy Fuels said high market prices for uranium combined with helpful government policies and the high demand for fuel for nuclear power plants also led to the decision to increase mining.

Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Park is almost double the size of nearby Mesa Verde National Park, and includes dozens of archaeological sites, well-preserved cliff dwellings, pottery sherds and art on canyon walls. The park is a tribal enterprise encompassing the entirety of Mesa Verde’s backcountry and requires visitors to travel with a Ute Mountain Ute guide.