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Show 56 The Southern Utes down across one closed eye to his chin. This was the Indian way of burying their chief. His daughter, Miss Frances Buck, requested the executive director of the State Historical Society to attend the funeral and accept Tony Buck's eagle feather warbonnet and rawhide drum as gifts to the Historical Society's Museum at Montrose, Colorado. Many of these articles have been returned to the Southern Ute Museum at headquarters of the Southern Ute Tribe in Ignacio, Colorado. The 1950's were an important era for the Southern Utes as they had the opportunity to reclaim lands or money for lands lost through treaties. Samuel Burch was the chairman at this time and with the help of his vice-chairman, John E. Baker, Sr., started to write a program to unite the three Ute bands. With Wilkinson, Cragan and Barker as their lawyers, the Northern, Southern and Ute Mountain Utes converged on Washington, D.C., to fight a legal battle with the Court of Claims. When the final decision was made, the Utes were awarded 32 million dollars to be divided among the throe bands. The Southern Utes along with the other bands had to write a program for use of the monies awarded them. In the case of the Southern Utes, Samuel Burch, John E. Baker, Sr., and their staff, started to write the "Rehabilitation Plan" which Southern Utes are still following with a few modifications. With the death of Chairman Burch, the Southern Utes were looking for leadership. The Tribe elected John E. Baker, Sr., to head the program and the council elected him to the chairmanship. The program became the envy of many Indian tribes throughout the country and many of its projects were copied by other tribes, universities, and the Federal Government. In the early 1950's, the Utes had such programs as Headstart, teacher aides, youth camps, land use plan, zoning, and many other programs that are being used nationwide now. Today the Southern Utes persist in their intentions of making their lands and their people economically and socially successful. Following the wise leadership of its early chief, the present Tribal Council is demonstrating vision and realism in planning and expediting a modern and sophisticated program of economic and social improvement. The tribe's money, its natural resources, and its people are committed to a full, responsible, and effective participation in the affairs of the local tri-ethnic community, the state of Colorado, and the nation. |