SOUTHERN UTE INDIAN RESERVATION – Southern Ute Tribal members beat a traditional drum and sang a prayer Friday morning as the Southern Ute Veterans Association posted the colors, marking the start of the Colorado Board of Veterans Affairs’ first-ever meeting held in Ignacio.
The board held its third meeting of the year – this one at the Sky Ute Casino – invited by board member Howard Richards Sr. and the Southern Ute Tribal Council.
“It’s a historical event, having the board here,” said Richards, longtime Ignacio resident and Southern Ute tribal member. “A lot of these board members come from different parts of Colorado, and they’ve never really been to an Indian reservation.”
For Richards, it was important for his colleagues to visit the reservation and gain a deeper understanding of the Southern Ute people’s culture and history. Most importantly, it gave tribal veterans a chance to attend and voice their concerns directly to the board.
During the four-hour meeting, attendees, board members and representatives of the Colorado Division of Veterans Affairs discussed recent federal layoffs and the inability of local Veterans Service Offices to meet veterans’ needs.
During public comment, a Vietnam War veteran voiced his frustration with Veterans Service Offices in the Four Corners. He said he served 13 months and 22 days, during which he was exposed to Agent Orange.
Decades later, when he applied for a veteran ID card and benefits, he said he was repeatedly denied, without explanation or guidance.
His story, Richards said, is a prime example of a major issue facing veterans in Colorado: inconsistent and inadequate service from local VSOs.
These offices are intended to help veterans access the benefits they’ve earned, but too often, Richards said, they fall short.
Veterans are dissatisfied with services provided by the local VSO, but holding the office accountable is difficult because it reports directly to the La Plata County commissioners, he said.
He noted the local Veterans Service officer, based in Durango, is also responsible for serving veterans in Ignacio but rarely visits. That leaves aging or disabled veterans with limited or no practical access to services.
“It’s a crying shame,” Richards said – a sentiment echoed by several board members and speakers.
“One of my biggest concerns as the director of the CDVA (Colorado Division of Veterans Affairs), is that the 89 veteran service offices we have across the state don’t offer uniform service,” said Bruce Cowan, addressing the board. “Some of them are really good, and some of them are not so good. Some of them return phone calls. Some of them don’t.”
The consensus: Colorado’s VSO structure is ineffective.
Board members agreed there must be better communication and coordination among state, county and local veteran service providers – as well as more face-to-face interaction, especially in rural areas like La Plata County.
Cowan urged board members to direct veterans to file complaints with his office, saying that is the most effective way to address problems until long-term solutions are implemented.
Another major concern was the massive restructuring of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Although board members largely avoided direct references to politics or President Donald Trump’s administration, several cited the current “climate” in Washington, D.C., as a threat to the VA’s mission.
As part of Trump’s broader effort to shrink the federal government, 83,000 positions – out of approximately 417,000 – within the VA are slated for elimination.
The board expressed concern about how such layoffs would impact service delivery and how the cuts would be distributed nationwide.
Richards said he was deeply concerned about the potential impact on local veterans and did not hide his frustration with the president’s actions.
In an interview with The Durango Herald, Richards spoke candidly about how he believes the president has affected veterans’ morale.
“The level of service to veterans – it’s not good already. So why fight the system when you’ve got the great white father?” he said, referring to Trump. “That’s somebody’s white father, not mine. And that’s the guy dictating my health. And with these cuts, he’s putting my health and the health of other veterans in jeopardy.”
Richards said increasing visibility and public support is the best way to reach veterans who have stopped advocating for themselves – and to help boost morale.
“(If they can say), ‘Hey, at least we got somebody standing up and talking for us,’ then that will spark that little bit of energy,” he said. “And that’s where it all starts.”
jbowman@durangoherald.com
