Leonard Burch
When he was born on December 24, 1933, in Ignacio, Colo., Leonard C Burch’s parents gave him the Indian name Shining Star. Back then, in the small town in southwestern Colorado, no one could have known how prophetic that name would be.
Leonard C. Burch will forever be remembered as a champion of the Southern Ute people and a tireless advocate for their prosperity and longevity. His work was pivotal in transforming a historically troubled, poverty-stricken tribe into one of the nation’s wealthiest, with assets of more than $1.5 billion. The Southern Utes now run their own natural gas production company, one of the largest in Colorado. They have new sewers, an elementary school, an ample college scholarship program, a modern medical center and even a fiber-optic network built by the tribe when the local phone carrier couldn’t keep up with the Southern Ute’s rapid expansion.
Growing up in the impoverish Ute reservation near Ignacio, Burch maintained a determination and vision that carried through all of his life endeavors. After graduating from Ute Vocational School in 1954, he served four tours of duty with the U.S. Air Force in Turkey. In 1959, Burch returned home and married his high school sweetheart, Irene. The couple eventually had seven daughters and 14 grandchildren. Throughout his life, he focused on family values and gatherings, mostly spending quality time with his wife, daughters and grandchildren.
In 1966, Burch was chosen by his people to be the tribe’s youngest chairman in history. Looking around him, he saw hardship and struggle everywhere. His people were struggling to make a living, in the mid-1960s they even had to suspend the $100-per-month stipend paid to members. Yet there was hope. During the previous decade, energy companies had discovered natural gas on Southern Ute land. Burch, who had worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs real estate office, realized that his people’s key to prosperity lay in controlling the natural gas production on their land.
Burch teamed up with 24 other Indian leaders to start the Council of Energy Resource Tribes. Through tireless effort and years of political advocacy, the Council successfully recovered control of tribal energy resources from the Department of Interior in 1982. Burch later led the Southern Utes in a project to regain energy profits by creating the Red Willow Production company, one of the first American Indian natural gas provider operations. Red Willow fought with two-dozen corporations, including giants like Exxon and Amoco/British Petroleum, for ownership of the natural gas they were extracting from the tribes coal in the 80s and 90s. They settled with many of these companies and today Red Willow has grown to become one of the largest natural gas providers in the region.
Today, life for the Southern Ute Tribe is much improved, with the wealth derived from its energy resources and obtained through hard work and relationships with non-Indian neighbors. Burch helped establish an investment structure for the Southern Utes to ensure financial security long after their natural gas resources are gone. Burch was also a firm believer in traditional tribal ceremonies and it was his goal to continue the Southern Ute ways with understanding and compassion. Much of the financial windfall he helped create for the Southern Utes will not only go towards their continued prosperity but also preserving their centuries-old traditions and priceless heritage.
Leonard C. Burch was a true leader who paved the way for other Indians all over the country, many of whom visit regularly to learn from the 1,400 member tribe’s success story. He held a constant dream that his people could build a better future for themselves and after years of persistence, that dream grew to a reality. In a statement given to the Denver Post, U.S. Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell said, “I invite anyone who believes that one man can’t make a difference to take a drive southeast of Durango and witness what Leonard Burch helped create.”
“He was my friend and my brother,” said tribal attorney Frank “Sam” Maynes. “It will take some time for the people to appreciate the magnificence of his accomplishments. When the history of Leonard Burch is written, he will be known as the tribe’s Chief Ouray of the 20th Century.”
Leonard C. Burch will forever be remembered as a champion of the Southern Ute people and a tireless advocate for their prosperity and longevity. His work was pivotal in transforming a historically troubled, poverty-stricken tribe into one of the nation’s wealthiest, with assets of more than $1.5 billion. The Southern Utes now run their own natural gas production company, one of the largest in Colorado. They have new sewers, an elementary school, an ample college scholarship program, a modern medical center and even a fiber-optic network built by the tribe when the local phone carrier couldn’t keep up with the Southern Ute’s rapid expansion.
Growing up in the impoverish Ute reservation near Ignacio, Burch maintained a determination and vision that carried through all of his life endeavors. After graduating from Ute Vocational School in 1954, he served four tours of duty with the U.S. Air Force in Turkey. In 1959, Burch returned home and married his high school sweetheart, Irene. The couple eventually had seven daughters and 14 grandchildren. Throughout his life, he focused on family values and gatherings, mostly spending quality time with his wife, daughters and grandchildren.
In 1966, Burch was chosen by his people to be the tribe’s youngest chairman in history. Looking around him, he saw hardship and struggle everywhere. His people were struggling to make a living, in the mid-1960s they even had to suspend the $100-per-month stipend paid to members. Yet there was hope. During the previous decade, energy companies had discovered natural gas on Southern Ute land. Burch, who had worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs real estate office, realized that his people’s key to prosperity lay in controlling the natural gas production on their land.
Burch teamed up with 24 other Indian leaders to start the Council of Energy Resource Tribes. Through tireless effort and years of political advocacy, the Council successfully recovered control of tribal energy resources from the Department of Interior in 1982. Burch later led the Southern Utes in a project to regain energy profits by creating the Red Willow Production company, one of the first American Indian natural gas provider operations. Red Willow fought with two-dozen corporations, including giants like Exxon and Amoco/British Petroleum, for ownership of the natural gas they were extracting from the tribes coal in the 80s and 90s. They settled with many of these companies and today Red Willow has grown to become one of the largest natural gas providers in the region.
Today, life for the Southern Ute Tribe is much improved, with the wealth derived from its energy resources and obtained through hard work and relationships with non-Indian neighbors. Burch helped establish an investment structure for the Southern Utes to ensure financial security long after their natural gas resources are gone. Burch was also a firm believer in traditional tribal ceremonies and it was his goal to continue the Southern Ute ways with understanding and compassion. Much of the financial windfall he helped create for the Southern Utes will not only go towards their continued prosperity but also preserving their centuries-old traditions and priceless heritage.
Leonard C. Burch was a true leader who paved the way for other Indians all over the country, many of whom visit regularly to learn from the 1,400 member tribe’s success story. He held a constant dream that his people could build a better future for themselves and after years of persistence, that dream grew to a reality. In a statement given to the Denver Post, U.S. Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell said, “I invite anyone who believes that one man can’t make a difference to take a drive southeast of Durango and witness what Leonard Burch helped create.”
“He was my friend and my brother,” said tribal attorney Frank “Sam” Maynes. “It will take some time for the people to appreciate the magnificence of his accomplishments. When the history of Leonard Burch is written, he will be known as the tribe’s Chief Ouray of the 20th Century.”
