In a press release issued on Thursday, the Ute Indian Tribal Business Committee announced that it has taken action against “a group of terminated mixed-bloods calling themselves the
Uintah Band of Shoshone Indians
or
Uintah Utah of Indians of Utah
or
Uinta Valley Shoshone Tribe
.” According to the Business Committee, the group is self-proclaimed and has sought to issue their own tribal identification cards, placed land ownership and no-trespassing signs throughout the Uintah and Ouray Reservation, has filed a notice of claim on interest with county recorders for Tribal property and are interfering with the government functions of the Ute Indian Tribe. “Many of the mixed bloods have apparently sought to form a new Tribe,” shares the release, “however [they] have no distinct history or culture, are not a federally recognized Tribe of Indians and have no legal relationship with the federal government…” The release also states that on August 18th, a representative for the group filed a Complaint in Ute Indian Tribal Court against the Ute Tribe and after reviewing the Complaint, the Business Committee determined that the Complaint lacks any merit and should be dismissed. The Business Committee has also directed the BIA and Tribal law enforcement to “take all lawful actions necessary to prevent this mixed blood group from engaging in further disruption of the governmental activities of the Ute Indian Tribe and to prevent them from continuing to trespass on the Uintah and Ouray Reservation. If this group continues these activities, they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
