{"id":13867,"date":"2026-01-21T18:23:04","date_gmt":"2026-01-22T01:23:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/from-public-safety-to-housing-ute-mountain-ute-councilwoman-lays-out-priorities-at-capitol\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T03:41:03","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T03:41:03","slug":"from-public-safety-to-housing-ute-mountain-ute-councilwoman-lays-out-priorities-at-capitol","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/from-public-safety-to-housing-ute-mountain-ute-councilwoman-lays-out-priorities-at-capitol\/","title":{"rendered":"From public safety to housing, Ute Mountain Ute councilwoman lays out priorities at Capitol"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Ute
Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Councilwoman Marilynn House delivers the State of the Tribe address before Colorado legislators on Friday in the House Chamber in Denver. Southern Ute Chairman Melvin Baker also gave his third annual address. (Photo\/Colorado Channel)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n

Standing before state lawmakers Friday, Councilwoman Marilynn House framed the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe\u2019s future in critical yet hopeful terms.<\/p>\n

She urged Colorado legislators to deepen consultation with the tribe on policymaking, explaining: \u201cWe request to meet more than twice a year with you all. If you invite, we will come.\u201d<\/p>\n

All in all, her roughly 25\u2011minute State of the Tribe address centered on key tribal priorities and needs. Her top points addressed public safety, housing, health care, critical water rights and safer roadways. She rounded out the speech before the 75th Colorado General Assembly at the State Capitol in Denver by highlighting tribal successes and long\u2011term projects still on track.<\/p>\n

Public safety has increasingly become an issue, and House cited rising gun violence and other violent crime across ages and genders.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese acts have become the norm for our people of Towaoc. We have requested added Bureau of Indian Affairs law enforcement to help protect our people, but we have been met with not enough BIA officers or not enough funding,\u201d she said. The tribe set a curfew earlier this month.<\/p>\n

House said the tribe recently hosted Attorney General Phil Weiser and formally requested prosecutors pursue crimes committed on Ute Mountain lands \u201cto the fullest extent of the law.\u201d<\/p>\n

Housing remains a critical need<\/div>\n

More affordable housing is a pressing need for most communities. Towaoc is no different.<\/p>\n

House asked lawmakers to consider supporting housing development awards from the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority and mentioned the state\u2019s low\u2011income housing tax credits.<\/p>\n

\u201cShould the tribe be awarded these programs, it will enable the tribe to build 15 new homes in Towaoc,\u201d she said. \u201cOur housing waiting list is a very, very large number of people waiting for a home.\u201d<\/p>\n

From health care to highways, tribe calls for state partnership<\/div>\n

House emphasized health care as essential to community livelihood, defining it broadly to include mental, physical, emotional and environmental health, not solely access to medical services.<\/p>\n

\u201cTribal consultation is a must for the tribe to have issues addressed and properly considered when legislation is being proposed or eliminated,\u201d she said. \u201cColorado usually honors tribal consultation, however, there have been times when Colorado has not followed through with its obligation to consult with the tribes on certain matters or issues.\u201d<\/p>\n

House said the tribe needs state support navigating complex negotiations with state and federal agencies to secure its water rights for the Colorado River.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany tribes have been forced to bargain away their senior water rights to have access to the much-needed infrastructure. This leaves the tribe within the basin more susceptible to just accept water cuts,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

With the Feb. 14 deadline approaching, she asked the state to help protect the tribe\u2019s treaty\u2011backed rights, invoking the late Chief Jack House\u2019s words: \u201cChief wants his water too.\u201d<\/p>\n

House called on the Colorado Department of Transportation for additional maintenance, signage and road safety studies. This request focused on high\u2011traffic intersections, particularly U.S. Highway 491, saying reservation roadways should be prioritized for visitors and tribal members traveling every day for work, school or recreation.<\/p>\n\n

House described the planned solar project as a cornerstone of the tribe\u2019s push for self\u2011reliance and its contribution to the state\u2019s economy. She said the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe wants to be an active partner in Colorado\u2019s energy portfolio. The project is called the Sun Bear Solar Project.<\/p>\n

\"In
In early 2024, Scott Clow, the environmental programs director for the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, looks over the future site where Sun Bear Solar Project is destined to be located, west of Towaoc. (Jerry McBride\/ Durango Herald)<\/span>Jerry McBride<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

A leasing contract was agreed upon in early 2024 with Canigou Group, a global renewable\u2011energy developer, to build a large solar facility on roughly 4,400 acres of reservation land. However, she said the project is facing restraints.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are issues holding back this project that Colorado legislatures could help provide a solution to and help the tribe make this project a complete success,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

New store improves food access in Towaoc<\/div>\n

House also highlighted the success of January\u2019s grand opening of the tribe\u2019s first grocery store, Nuchu Market, which she said was envisioned during the COVID\u201119 pandemic after residents were forced to travel for basic needs.<\/p>\n

\u201cNuchu Market\u2019s opening finally came to reality. The store serves fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as other grocery items, which serves the community. Tribal members no longer have to drive 12 miles,\u201d House said.<\/p>\n

\"Ute
Ute Mountain Ute elder Floyd Morris cuts the ribbon at Nuchu Market\u2019s grand opening Jan. 5. Ute Mountain Ute Councilwoman Marilynn House (second right), Nuchu Market general manager Chad Pearce (third right) and Councilman Alston Turtle looked on after each speaking about efforts to complete the grocery store. (Anna Watson\/The Journal)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"The
The community gathers Jan. 5 for Nuchu Market\u2019s grand-opening. The store, along U.S. Highway 160\/491, is located in space of what was formerly Woody\u2019s. (Anna Watson\/The Journal)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Marilynn House highlighted recent successes, like Nuchu Market<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13868,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[28,29],"naviga_topic":[],"class_list":["post-13867","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-headlines","tag-newsletter"],"acf":[],"author_name":"dh_admin","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13867","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13867"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13867\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19202,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13867\/revisions\/19202"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13868"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13867"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13867"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13867"},{"taxonomy":"naviga_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/naviga_topic?post=13867"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}