The Ute Council Tree

The Ute Council Tree. This is a limb from the historic tree.... , The ancient tree was once part of a grove of native cottonwoods under which the local Ute Indians would camp and hold council prior to 1881. An Indian trail passed nearby. It has been identified as the Ute Council Tree since 1930, when the local Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) chapter affixed a bronze plaque to the tree identifying its historic connection to the Ute Indian culture. Edith Castle, when a young teenager, would listen to conversations between her father, Newton Castle, and Chipeta, wife of Ute Chief Ouray (d. August 24, 1880), during visits by Chipeta following the removal of the Ute tribes from this area in 1881. Edith Castle, DAR regent in 1930, was instrumental in recognizing and honoring the historical significance of this sacred place. , The tree was a seedling around 1800, and grew into a magnificent tree which survived for over 200 years. However, for the final 50-60 years of its life, branches continued to drop periodically, endangering life and property beneath. , THE UTE COUNCIL TREE , CLONED FOR SURVIVAL , In 1994, at least twenty cuttings were taken by Eugene Naranjo, who at the time was on the executive committee and a member of the Council Tree Pow Wow committee. He took the cuttings back to the southern Ute Forestry Department where they were nurtured into viable saplings. He returned the ten best saplings to Delta in the year 2000, where seven of them were planted around the Pow Wow arbor during the Pow Wow festival, each representing one of the original seven Ute bands. A sapling was also presented to the three Ute tribes at the Pow Wow, with each to be planted on their home reservation. , In 2000, the Ute Council Tree received the Millennium Landmark Tree award which was presented during the Council Tree Pow Wow in September. One tree from each of the 50 United States was selected for the award, and the Ute Council Tree was designated as Colorado's landmark tree. , FINAL LIMB DROPS... , When the last major branch on the trunk dropped on August 1, 2017, leaving only the crown intact, the decision to remove the 89-foot crown was made in the interest of public safety. The Ute Council Tree was cut down on August 25, 2017, leaving the 23-foot stump as a memorial to the Ute Indians, who still embrace the historical connection located at H25 Rd and 1550 Rd, Delta. The Delta County Historical Society (DCHS) has had the responsibility of overseeing the historic tree and its health. A 35x91-foot section of Ruth and Fred Wilds' property, containing the tree was given by quitclaim deed to DCHS. , [photo captions] , . Chief Ouray and Chipeta