The Ute Mountain Ute Tribe Reservation is a Sovereign Nation with around 2,000 residents most of whom live in, and around, the administrative seat of Towaoc, which is located east of the Sleeping Ute Mountain, a sacred mountain for the Ute people. This Masterplan gave voice to recommendations, desires, and concerns expressed by the Tribe over a two-year interactive process. We were inspired by the elders, who are so invested in the land and community, and the energy of the youth, who see heritage in unexpected, innovative ways. Community members of all ages shared their time and insights to convey the kind of future that they wanted for the Reservation. The resulting strategies for future housing, open space, and community catalysts are strengthened when partnered with other Tribal programs like the Tiwahe Initiative, Tour de Ute, and other social and health plans.

There was a lot to learn. Community participation began by engaging youth, and through them, their families and elders. Research and information gathering included workshops, stakeholder interviews, tours and ground truthing.

Workshops used mapping and improv to engage participants. Alex Munoz, a filmmaker who had built trust making movies with tribal youth was the intermediary and leader. Youth applied tapes and stickers to a supersized aerial photograph of Towaoc laid out on the gym floor. They identified what they loved, where they were afraid and how they moved around. At the Senior Center, Elders identified their most visited locations and movements using beads and thread pinned on the same aerial photo, this time printed on cloth at a smaller scale. Both times the incidental conversation gave added insight into needs and priorities. Workshops with the Community at Large brought the conversations together, providing opportunity for intergenerational exchange as well as input on suggested strategies. Tribal Council shaped, reviewed and approved the final Plan.

Stakeholder interviews with tribal leadership, community/education program staff, veterans, the housing authority, homeowners and tenants expanded knowledge on daily life, community needs and tribal history, customs and culture. Interviews also included tours of the Tribe’s Casino, Travel Center, Farm and Ranch and Construction Company.

Ground Truthing, led by landscape architect Julie Bargmann of D.I.R.T. studio and TENxTEN, rounded out the research. Time spent gathering empirical information about the setting and observing life on the reservation included walks through with tribal representatives who further clarified the interconnection between tribal culture and the land.