04. Towaocing Points

 

It was  our late president, Dr. James Jefferson’s idea to hold our annual conference this year in Towaoc, Colorado, on the reservation of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe. Their hotel and casino sits in the beautiful valley of the Navajo Wash on the road from Cortez to Shiprock, New Mexico. We were blessed with a good turnout—people came from as far away as Northern Utah and Georgia, and there were attendees from all three Ute tribes and from the Navajo Nation. 

Dr. Jefferson was strongly involved in the conference planning, despite his worsening health. He was so determined that it would be successful that he travelled to Denver, Colorado Springs, and Towaoc for planning meetings throughout the spring (pictured above). When we met at the hotel in early June to firm up details, Dr. Jefferson’s selected keynote speaker, Regina Lopez-Whiteskunk, was able to meet us for lunch. They sat together and reminisced about shared relatives and experiences. 

Maybe he knew that his days were numbered and that’s why he worked so tirelessly to leave us with the conference details well organized. It was a blow when Dr. Jefferson walked on to the spirit world on July 12, 2025, about a month before the start of the conference. But we knew he would not want us to falter in implementing his plans. A dedicated team at NASTaP forged on to implement a gathering that will be well remembered and has changed our lives. 


Regina urged the audience to speak up for preservation of sacred lands and to work to return people, particularly youth, to the land and to natural ways. She spoke from her experience as the only woman on an intertribal coalition to preserve and protect Bear’s Ears National Monument in Utah. “Keep showing up,” she advised. “Have patience and don’t give up on the heavy ask.” 

Don Wells, president of Mountain Stewards, shared exciting new discoveries of four sacred places in Colorado where Ute people left the stories in stone of their ancient travels. NASTaP’s origin story was related by John Anderson, including his first meetings with Dr. Jefferson. The conference was opened by Dan Clark who, with his nephew Farley Ketchum, sang a dedication in Ute and told of the Bear, harbinger of a new beginning as he emerges from his den in the spring. 


Wrapping up the conference on Sunday, we had the supreme honor of going on a guided tour, by Vida and Dan Clark and Farley, of the tribe’s most sacred place, Ute Mountain. Along the way we saw majestic views, old growth forests, lakes and meadows and much wildlife including an injured golden eagle that was gently rescued by our guide and delivered to the tribe’s wildlife clinic. Our group was humbled by the experience, memories and insight. We were filled with gratitude for our gracious hosts, the many people who helped make the conference possible, and the foresight of our beloved Dr. Jefferson. 

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