The Southern Ute Indian Tribe, headquartered in Ignacio, La Plata County, Colorado, descends from the Moache and Capote bands of Utes, two of the seven bands of Utes that originally occupied the present-day states of Colorado and Utah, as well as parts of Arizona and New Mexico.

The boundaries of the Southern Ute Reservation encompass about 681,000 acres. The Tribe has approximately 309,000 surface acres of trust land, and another 4,000 acres of allotted land. The remaining 368,000 acres within the reservation boundary are privately owned or belong to government agencies.
The latest population estimate numbers Southern Ute Tribal membership at 1,365 persons. About 75% of the Tribal members live on the reservation. Approximately 60% of the Tribal members are under the age of 30.

The Southern Ute Indian Tribe is governed by an elected Tribal Council made up of a Chairman and six Councilors. The Chairman and Council seats are elected based on majority vote and run on staggered three-year terms. The Chairman appoints a Vice-Chairman and a Treasurer from the six Councilors. The Chairman also appoints his own Executive Officer, who oversees the various Tribal Government departments and their employees.

The successful economic activities of the Tribe have also allowed the Tribal Council to devise a financial plan to share Tribal wealth with Tribal members. Tribal members ages 26-59 receive annual dividend checks which are based on the Tribe's investment successes each year. In addition, Tribal members aged 60 or older are guaranteed substantial retirement checks for a period of 20 years.

The Tribe also shares a percentage of its profits from gaming to support area non-profit organizations and local non-tribal government entities. The non-profits and government entities apply for those funds, with decisions being by the Tribal Council and a Donation Review Committee.

To access the office Southern Ute Tribe website, click here.