Traditionally, the Núchíú (Ute people) were nomadic, moving across vast ancestral lands to steward the resources, including native plants, that supported their lifeways. Today, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe (UMUT) members are restricted to less than 600,000 acres of Reservation and Fee land from which to collect traditional plants, year after year.

In September, TWP delivered dozens of native plant species to their new home at the Kwiyagat Community Academy (KCA) in Towaoc, Colorado. Grown by Tribal partners within the Santa Ana Native Plant Nursery, these plants will be integrated into KCA’s efforts to develop culturally-relevant education and sustain Native stewardship values.

Regina Lopez-Whiteskunk is a rockstar for Indigenous sovereignty, environmental justice, and gender equity and inclusion. She has been at the forefront of these initiatives in the southwest and has represented her Tribe as an everyday leader and previous member of the Tribal Council. A member of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Regina grew up in southwest Colorado.

Passing on the traditional values of environmental stewardship and reciprocity with the land has played a role in Indigenous cultures for time immemorial. Though the spirit of traditional learning remains the same, in today’s society, the way information is shared and passed down to the next generation has changed.

What is Indigenous sovereignty? The Merriam-Webster online dictionary tells us that indigenous sovereignty is “supreme power especially over a body politic,” or “freedom from external control.” But in practice, Indigenous sovereignty means much more than that, and means different things to different people.