Statewide Veterans Group Honors Southern Utes
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Department of New Willows Ignacio, CO 81137 APRIL 19, 2013 Justice to tribe: restaurant Bulk Permit No. 1 Vol. XLV No. 8 Lead the way opens at casino Official newspaper of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe For subscription or advertising information, call 970-563-0118 $29 one year | $49 two years PAGE 4 PAGE 10 INSIDE THIS ISSUE 25¢ Culture 3 Health 5 Education 6 Sports 8 Voices 9 Classified ads 11 1ST-PLACE NATIVE AMERICAN JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION GENERAL EXCELLENCE WINNER, 2010 AND 2011 www.sudrum.com VETERANS’ AFFAIRS YOUR HEALTH Statewide veterans group Health Dept. shares vision honors Southern Utes for future at general meeting By Ace Stryker … and well-controlled,” By Ace Stryker THE SOUTHERN UTE DRUM Shemberger said. “This re- THE SOUTHERN UTE DRUM quires us to establish new Following years of dis- policies, new procedures.” The Southern Ute Veter- cussion and months of in- Shemberger introduced ans Association was hon- tensive study, the Southern the concept of the South- ored on Sunday, April 7 with Ute Indian Tribal Council is ern Ute Health Center as a a Distinguished Veterans preparing to move forward “medical home,” an all-pur- Service Organization award, on health care reform for pose first stop for treatment the only one granted at this tribal members. or referrals to outside help. year’s United Veterans Com- The health care chal- Patient visits have in- mittee of Colorado awards lenges facing tribal mem- creased at a rate greater banquet in Denver. bers were front and center than 5 percent each year for The award celebrates the during the tribe’s general the past few years, Shem- group for its “dedicated meeting Thursday, April berger said. Adding traffic service to the Colorado 11. Kaylor Shemberger, the without expanding space veterans.” new director of the Tribal has increased wait times “Since 1986, when three Health Department, kicked — a key metric he and the Vietnam veterans discussed off the meeting by outlining council are working to im- Southern Ute veteran issues, those challenges and what prove, he said. you have consistently grown his department is doing to “It is really not possible for in assessing veteran needs address them. us to take on more patients in and achieving positive correc- Ace Stryker/SU Drum “We’re moving away the space we now occupy,” tive actions. The actions were Members of the Southern Ute Veterans Association and Southern Ute Indian Tribal Council from the [U.S. Indian Shemberger said. “The facil- attended on Sunday, April 7 the United Veterans Committee of Colorado’s 41st annual awards so worthy as to earn formal Health Service] model that ity was built back in the ‘70s, banquet, where the association received a Distinguished Veterans Service Organization tribal recognition in 1995,” award. Present at the ceremony were (left to right) Larry Tucker, the association’s secretary/ has been in place here on and in many respects is start- the award certificate states. treasurer; Aaron V. Torres, council member; Howard D. Richards Sr., council member and the reservation for many ing to show its age.” “In addition to assisting vet- founding member and former commander of the association; Rudley Weaver; Ronnie Baker, years,” he said. The Tribal Health Depart- erans, you are active in many former commander; Rod Grove, temporary commander; and Pete Gomez, a former probation The tribe assumed over- ment is looking at relocating community functions provid- officer for the Southern Ute Tribal Court. sight of tribal-member some services outside of the ing services and color guards health services from the clinic to free up space in- at no cost. Your service is a and former commander of state that they acknowledged us committee also recognized IHS in October 2009 but side. The clinic now has four great credit to the Southern the Southern Ute associa- for what we have done.” the group for its service has since faced transitional exam rooms, but will gain at Ute Indian Tribal Council and tion; Rod Grove, temporary Grove said the committee outside the tribe, as when challenges and increas- least three more by the end to your state and nation.” commander; Larry Tucker, actually invited the associa- members carry flags during ing demand, prompting the of the year, Shemberger Present for the banquet secretary/treasurer; Ronnie tion to receive the award last events or make presentations council to examine ways to said. Another long-term goal — the committee’s 41st an- Baker, former commander; year, but some members of at local schools. “We served render better service. is to expand its hours — cur- nual — at the Renaissance Rudley Weaver; and Coun- the association couldn’t make this country like anybody “We’ve had to learn a lot rently 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mon- Denver Hotel were Howard cilman Aaron V. Torres. the banquet — so it was re- else. We didn’t ask for any- of new systems. Everything day through Friday, closing D. Richards Sr., a Southern “I was kind of surprised,” scheduled for this year. thing special. We did our du- under the former IHS rela- Ute Indian Tribal council- Grove said. “It was finally a “It was a long time com- ties. … We never ran away tionship was well-organized General meeting page 3 man and founding member recognition by the people in the ing,” he said, adding that the or burned our draft cards.” YOUTH IN MOTION Young Utes get golf lessons from Native pro By Melinda Englert BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF THE SUIT Forty youth from Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute tribes and the Ignacio com- munity got together to work on pitching, chipping, full- swing and putting skills April 1-5 at the Spring Break Golf Clinic, a program of the Boys & Girls Club of the Southern Joel Priest/Special to the Drum Ute Indian Tribe and the Sun- Ignacio’s Amya Bison (14) and Tristan Boone (6) try shielding the ball away from Ridgway’s Ute Community Center’s Alma Johnson (2) and Emily Mandaville (4) during SWL play Saturday, April 13 at IHS Field. Spring Break Golf Clinic. Youth ages 8-18 convened IHS SOCCER at Hillcrest Golf Course for the weeklong clinic, which culminated in a skills chal- Lady Cats make Demons sweat lenge and a nine-hole match for several older partici- pants. Club member Ocean By Joel Priest Hunter won first place in the SPECIAL TO THE DRUM skills challenge. Native American PGA With her teammates, Tour player Steve McDonald fans, and especially coach- and his team of golf instruc- es roaring their loudest so tion professionals Juan Eli- far in 2013, forward Amya zondo, Emily McDonald, and Bison was clearly loaded Nolan Pahmahmie taught not Jeremy Wade Shockley/SU Drum and locked. only golf fundamentals but Emily McDonald gives instruction on Wednesday, April 3 to a She was ready to pull the also life skills, such as self group of aspiring young golfers during the weeklong Spring trigger, too; she just couldn’t belief, responsibility, honesty Break Golf Clinic of the Boys & Girls Club of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe at Hillcrest Golf Course in Durango. find the danged thing. and perseverance. “It got my adrenaline go- Collaboration between Center with funding from meals and snacks served all ing,” she said, “and I just the Boys & Girls Club of the the National Congress of week, possible. kept pushing, kept pushing Joel Priest/Special to the Drum Southern Ute Indian Tribe American Indians made the … until I got there.” Ignacio’s Sierra Cuthair (20) deflects a pass forward by and SunUte Community clinic, as well as the healthy Golf page 6 But despite the fact that Ridgway’s Sarah Pankow (8) during SWL play Saturday, April 13 at IHS Field. the Lady Bobcats’ best of- SOUTHERN UTE GROWTH FUND fensive rush ended without be burned by Ignacio for a Grace Benasutti marking in a shot, the buzz generated goal this season. the 69th to enact the 10-goal Tribal Membership Meeting in the 42nd minute of soc- But Ridgway decided mercy rule. cer at IHS Field on Satur- it wouldn’t be them, with Boss Oscar Cosio was Sky Ute Casino Resort • Events Center day, April 13 was noticeable speedy junior Scarlet Hol- not pleased about that, hav- May 16, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. long after it ended. Some- venstot scoring in the 63rd Lunch will be served one other than Center might and 65th, and classmate Soccer page 8 Update April 19, 2013 waini (2) COUNCIL CORNER GoodTracks looks back on MANY MOONS AGO first year By Beth Santistevan actually participate and en- SU TRIBAL COUNCIL gage in it,” she said. GoodTracks said she’s Council Lady Pathimi most proud of the work the GoodTracks has one year un- council has achieved as a der her belt as a member of group rather than the fruits the Southern Ute Indian Trib- of her own labor. She is al Council, and she’s learned proud of the way the council a thing or two that no amount is able to work together and of other job experience or make the best decisions for schooling could teach. the membership. Before being elected to the In the first meetings she council in 2011, GoodTracks attended as a council lady, worked in various depart- she noticed the various ments for the Southern Ute ways tribal departments ap- Tribe for more than 20 years: times, you want to jump in proached the council. She has served as the Cul- and do it for staff; however, “Some meetings were tural Department developer, as a council member, you’ve simply restating sound bites Animas-La Plata Project got to let staff do the work and applying verbal pressure cultural coordinator, acting so they learn and it becomes to get others to bend to the Department of Natural Re- common practice for them.” outcome they wanted, while sources director, Lands Di- others explained the reasons vision head, lands technician behind a particular perspec- and air quality technician.