In a runoff election last week, two members of the Southern Ute Indian Tribal Council were ousted in favor of two returning councilors.
James Olguin and Linda Baker were chosen by voters over sitting Vice Chair Lorelei Cloud and Council Member Vanessa Torres to serve three-year terms.
Both Olguin and Baker most recently served a three-year term on tribal council that began in 2020.
Olguin and Baker received 209 and 181 votes respectively; Cloud and Torres received 149 and 96 votes respectively. The four candidates in Friday’s runoff emerged as the top candidates in a seven-way election held Nov. 1. The victors were sworn in at a ceremony in Ignacio Monday.
Olguin steps into the role with significant experience in tribal government. He has previously served as a wildlife officer, division head of wildlife, director of the natural resources department, sand and gravel vice president of regulatory management, tribal councilman, executive officer for the tribe’s permanent fund, tribal treasurer, vice chairman and acting chairman.
Baker has served one term as a tribal councilwoman, as director of the Southern Ute Cultural Center and Museum, and worked in the tribe’s department of education.
Neither councilor was available for comment during the transition, a spokeswoman for the tribe said.
“The knowledge and commitment that Baker and Olguin bring to this Council is invaluable,” Tribal Chairman Melvin J. Baker said in a news release following the inauguration. “Their leadership will strengthen our efforts to honor traditions while paving the way forward for continued growth and opportunity for our tribe.”
In her third and most recent term as a councilwoman, Cloud was a fierce advocate for the tribe’s water rights. She spoke often on the challenges the tribe has faced accessing the water it owns in Lake Nighthorse. In 2023, she was appointed by the governor to serve as a representative of the San Miguel, Dolores, Animas and San Juan river basins on the states’ water conservation board, the first Indigenous person to assume such a position.
The tribal council governs the tribe’s operations. The SUIT, which has about 1,500 enrolled members, employs over 1,500 people making it the largest employer in La Plata County. It also maintains an investment fund worth an estimated $4 billion.
rschafir@durangoherald.com
