Left to Right: Ernest House Jr., Madeline Gonzalez Allen, Art Goodtimes, DeLanie Young
Ernest House Jr. Presentation to Telluride High School
Over the years, the Telluride Institute has sustained a tradition of honoring our Indigenous neighbors, beginning with the Ute Reconciliation (hyperlink), Indigenous People’s Day in Telluride and with programs like the Ute Youth Ski Day in collaboration with the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Telluride Ski Resort, Telluride Sports, the Town of Mountain Village, the Town of Telluride, San Miguel County and other partners.
During Native American Heritage Month in November 2021, we invited Ernest House Jr. to be a presenter at the Telluride High School during. It was an honor and pleasure to get to host Ernest on behalf of the Telluride Institute in collaboration with teachers, with the participation of students, and the presence of our Mayor DeLanie Young, and former County Commissioner Art Goodtimes who helped initiate our local relations with our Ute neighbors.
Ernest is the Program Director of the Keystone Policy Center’s American Indian & Alaska Native Program; served as the Executive Director of the Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs for 12 years, under several Colorado governors; serves on several Boards including with Fort Lewis College and Conservation Colorado. And, he holds a rich tradition in his position as son of the late Ernest House Sr., a long-time tribal leader for the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, and great-grandson of Chief Jack House, the last hereditary chief of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe. Ernest offered an amazing, engaging presentation about his life and career; afterwards students came up for further dialog with him.
