tavachi : sun

tavachi : sun. . , The Nuúchi (Ute) People are the first inhabitants of this region, and are comprised of seven bands that historically lived here and in nearby areas of the Southwest: the Mouache and Caputa in the south; Weenuchiu to the west; the Parianuche, Yamparika, and Uintah to the north; and the Tabegauche in the central mountains. , Tavachi is the Nuúchi word for sun, which they believe is a powerful holy being that created all life. The Tabeguache refer to themselves as the "People of Sun Mountain" and called the majestic peak to the west Tavà Kaavi, or "sun mountain." Sun Mountain is sacred to the Nuúchi, and is where they once dwelled, hunted and gathered, and performed ceremonial traditions. , In the mid-19th century, the Nuúchi were constantly pressured to give up their land by white government agents, miners, and settlers. They finally agreed to a series of treaties that restricted them to reservations on a portion of their original homelands, but the U.S. government has not yet ratified the treaties. Though most of their land base was stolen and reduced over the centuries, the Nuúchi still live in vibrant and thriving communities that contribute to the culture and economies of what is now southern Colorado and eastern Utah. , In 2019, the college named the entire greenspace you see before you Tava Quad in honor of the Nuúchi and in support and celebration of all Indigenous/Native People who come to learn, work, and live in the mountain's shadow. Colorado College currently sits on the unceded territory of the Nuúchi and the Abáachi Didé (Jicarilla Apache), Hinóno’éíno’ (Arapaho), Nūmūnūū (Comanche), and Tsétséhéstàhese (Cheyenne) Peoples, among other tribes who once called this region home.