Lt. Governor Primavera Hosts Meeting With HHS Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response and Colorado’s Federally Recognized Tribes

DENVER — Today, Lt. Governor Dianne Primavera, Chair of the Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs, hosted a roundtable meeting with Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, Dawn O’Connell, and leaders from the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Southern Indian Ute Tribe, and the American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) community. They discussed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Tribal and AI/AN communities in Colorado. 

“It was my great pleasure to host this important meeting,” said Lt. Governor Dianne Primavera. “Over the last two years, our administration has worked closely with our Tribal partners and American Indian and Alaska Native communities across the state to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are grateful for their ongoing partnership and welcomed the opportunity to share successes and challenges with Assistant Secretary O’Connell, so that we can better prepare for any future health emergencies.” 

The Polis-Primavera Administration shares a strong government-to-government relationship with the Tribes, which allowed for close coordination throughout the pandemic; the State worked with the Tribal Nations and other leaders from the American Indian and Alaska Native communities, to ensure that they had the resources needed to effectively respond to the pandemic.  Leadership within the Tribal Nations along with the effective partnership with the State led to the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and Southern Indian Ute Tribe leading the state in low infection rates and vaccination rates. 

“We are focused on making sure Tribal communities are well equipped to prepare for, respond to, and recover from public health emergencies,” said HHS Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Dawn O’Connell. “As we continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and prepare for the future, it was invaluable to talk with Tribal leaders about the health challenges facing their communities and how we may be able to strengthen our partnership moving forward.” 

The Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs was created in 1976 to be the official liaison between the two Ute Tribes and the State of Colorado. The Commission serves as the official liaison between the State of Colorado and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, ensuring direct contact and meaningful engagement with the Tribes and with the American Indian and Alaska Native communities across the state. 

“We would like to thank the Assistant Secretary O’Connell for meeting with the Southern Ute Indian Tribe to hear the challenges we faced throughout the pandemic but also learn from the things the Tribe did well to insulate our tribal community the best we could to preserve our people, traditions, culture, and language,” stated Chairman Melvin J. Baker.