TOWAOC – The steady beat of a drum reverberated through the desert silence Saturday as hundreds of people gathered around the flag-draped casket of former Ute Mountain Ute Indian Tribe Chairman Ernest House Sr.
They were there to honor the former chairman, known across Indian Country and the nation for his thoughtfulness, compassion and devotion to his people. He died Sept. 17 after a motorcycle accident in McElmo Canyon near here. He was 65 years old.
More than 500 guests attended the funeral in Towaoc, filling the bleachers of the Towaoc Recreation Center gym where the ceremony began. After speeches by colleagues and family, House Sr.'s casket was carried to the town cemetery in a horse-drawn carriage, a privilege reserved tribe's greatest leaders.
In addition to family, friends and tribal members, representatives from the Northern Ute and Southern Ute tribal nations, Lt. Gov. Joe Garcia, former U.S. Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell and former U.S. Rep. Ray Kogovsek were among those in attendance.
House worked for the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe for more than 30 years. He was elected to the tribal council in 1979 and elected tribal chairman in 1982. He went on to serve four four-year terms as chairman, the last of which ended in November.
The speakers during his funeral painted a picture of a wise leader who built bridges, persevered through challenges and advocated tirelessly for his tribe.
House was a listener and a collaboration-builder, said his son, Ernest House Jr., former executive director of the Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs.
“He always tried to take time to weigh both sides,” House Jr. said. “He wanted to make sure that the state and community respected tribal sovereignty but also understood that there had to be collaboration and communication between tribal, local, state and federal levels.”
Pearl Casias, chairwoman of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, emphasized his work for all of the Ute peoples.
“He gave the ultimate sacrifice to provide all the benefits for not only the Ute Mountain Ute but for the Southern Ute and Northern Ute tribes,” Casias said.
Many also remembered the former chairman's playful side – House Jr. told one of his father's jokes during his speech.
His humor helped make House Sr. a successful leader, said Joe Keck, now director of the Southwest Colorado Small Business Development Center.
“There is a tendency for people to get so critical that they can't make progress,” said Keck, who worked for the tribe for 14 years in planning and economic development. “Ernest always kept his sense of humor.”
House Sr. was born and raised in Mancos Canyon and was a member of the Ute Mountain Ute tribe (Weeminuche Band). After high school, he served in the Colorado Army National Guard, Special Forces (Airborne) Group. His burial included a military graveside service.
After serving, he worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the National Park Service.
His connection to tribal government is rooted in the time he spent with his grandfather, Chief Jack House, who was the last hereditary chief of the tribe. Tribal leaders now are elected by the tribe's members.
“His grandfather taught him a lot about the struggles he was seeing as a tribal leader,” House Jr. said. “Throughout the process, he wanted to carry through the issues that Chief Jack House advocated for.”
One of those projects focused on securing water rights for the tribe. Under House's leadership, the tribe completed the Colorado Ute Indian Water Rights Settlement Act, which guaranteed water to the Ute Mountain Ute and Southern Ute Indian tribes from the Dolores and Animas-La Plata water projects.
Public safety on the reservation was another focus of his efforts, and because of his work, the number of police officers overseeing the 600,000 acres of Ute Mountain Ute tribal land increased from two to 12, House Jr. said.
He sat on the National Indian Health Board, advocating for the creation of tribal hospitals, and supported the push for a federal courthouse in Durango. In the realm of education, he worked on a college scholarship program for Native American students.
When he wasn't working, House Sr. loved to golf and ride his motorcycle. When he retired in November, his children bought him the 2009 Harley-Davidson motorcycle that he was riding when he died.
“He was on that thing every single day,” House Jr. said. “That's why we have a peace about his passing because we know he was doing what he loved.”
In remembering him, House Sr.'s friends, family and colleagues admired him both as a leader and as a person.
“He was a real gentleman in the truest sense of the word,” said Kogovsek, who worked with House Sr. while he was in congressional office.
“He was a gentleman, and he was a gentle man,” Kogovsek said. “We're all going to miss him.”