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Southern Paiute culture is unique and rich. Our language is a different dialect of the Southern Paiute/Ute language group and our People are known for their basketmaking skills.
As San Juan Southern Paiutes, we are a distinct tribe and our traditional territory is in southeastern Utah and north central Arizona within lands designated by the United States as the Navajo Reservation.
As San Juan Southern Paiutes, we are strong and resilient in the face of many challenges. We are committed to providing a future for our People that is built on growth and sustainability and caring for our elders and children.
Paiute and Navajo Nation sign historic treaty. On March 18th, at Hidden Springs Arizona, north of Tuba City, Johnny M. Lehi, Sr., President of the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe, and Kelsey Begaye, President of the Navajo Nation, signed the first treaty that two Indian Tribes have signed with each other in 160 years.
The Tribal Council is advocating very strongly on Capitol Hill and working together to ensure a future for Tribal Members by working toward establishing a permanent homeland, including a Water Settlement that will enable the Tribe to be more self-sufficient, creating new jobs, offering educational services through economic growth and allowing the Tribe the ability to apply for more funding to build homes, schools, and Health Care.
We have a very dedicated and talented team serving our Tribe.
Looking back at the accomplishments we have done since, the mark of the beginning where we focus on Tribal Members starting in 2016 leadership. We have addressed many needs of our People. We developed the Application forms to help in many area’s of tribal member needs. We continue to plan for the future of our younger generations. Although the work has been very tedious, with the challenges of the pandemic that hit the world, we strived to save our people the best we could. We worked through the tears, heartache and fear, all the while praying for each and every tribal member.
We, will continue to strive forward, to give assistance with the needs, wood for the people, congregated meals for the elderly, water distributions, other services. The new leadership, after the pandemic, to the winter of 2023, the focus of the long awaited leadership was on ratifying the treaty, so that our people could have homestead on their land. Along with continuing to help our people with assistance. The work was very rewarding, but time runs out fast for progress to real take affect. But there are too many goals and milestones we have not yet met, we are a work in progress. We will continue to wu’kah’kah nah’r’uhn. Eachu’o’pahni, pah’utsi gabi, hi’tahmi’wee’tu.
We have a very dedicated and talented team serving our Tribe.
Richard Graymountain
NORTHERN AREA COUNCIL
Click the links below for more information on upcoming events and meet the Council.
