A new permanent exhibit at the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum invites visitors to experience the past and present of the Ute people — on their terms.
“Until Forever Comes: This is Ute Homeland” is the result of a five-year collaboration with the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and the Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation.
“Until forever comes, it’s ... a saying that some elders say about Ute people. And it really is a testament to our resilience,” said Crystal Rizzo, Cultural Preservation Director of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe. “So often we forget that Ute people are the original inhabitants here.”
Through intricate beadwork, family photographs and interactive displays — including the scents of campfire, Ponderosa Pine and leather — the exhibit sends a powerful message: “We are still here.”
That phrase appears throughout the installation and serves as both declaration and reminder, said Southern Ute Indian Tribe Vice Chairman Marvin Pinnecoose. For him, the exhibit helps correct common misconceptions that the Ute people live only on a small reservation tucked into Colorado’s southwest corner.
“They identify that reservation and then they say, ‘Well, that's probably where they lived.’ But when you really expand beyond, you’re talking about migration routes, hunting grounds,” he said. “It was an oral history of mapping out where those key places were.”
That deep connection to the land is a running theme. A life-size horse sculpture greets visitors at the entrance, accompanied by stories and items reflecting the tribe’s close bond with horses, considered vital members of the community.
“Our relationship with the horse is really important,” Rizzo said. “We take care of them, they take care of us.”
She recalled stories from elders who used to ride horses into town, tie them outside the store, and head back home on horseback.
The exhibit’s blend of historical and contemporary artifacts makes clear that Ute culture is not frozen in time.
“We had some elders who created beadwork, the dresses. We had a really young person create some of the beadwork,” said Rizzo. “It was a really strong representation of all three Ute tribes.”
For Pinnecoose, that intergenerational aspect created moments of reflection.
“You couple it with the idea of pieces that were also put in the cases by people who are no longer here … it brought about a sense of nostalgia that really crosses generational lines,” he said.
Language preservation is another focal point of the exhibit.
The Southern Ute Tribe has developed its own writing system, passed a resolution supporting orthography and even graduated 27 certified Ute language teachers through a partnership with Fort Lewis College. But revitalizing a language is more than logistics — it’s identity.
“We’re putting a lot of resources into creating fluent speakers, starting with our children,” Rizzo said.
Visitors are encouraged to slow down and engage deeply.
“You have to really take time to dive into those… and not be distracted,” said Pinnecoose. “You have to slow your life down.” He compared it to being with elders. If you sit quietly long enough, they’ll offer you something meaningful, he said. The exhibit asks the same of its audience — to sit, look closely and listen.
That approach extends to the broader mission of the museum, which Rizzo said has evolved significantly.
“The city of Colorado Springs has… worked to improve their consultation process,” Rizzo said. “From the very beginning, the museum wanted us to be able to tell our story.”
And what does she hope visitors walk away with?
“For non-Native people … that this really pushes back against some of the negative stereotypes,” Rizzo said. “For our own Ute people, I look forward to more tribal members going and seeing that … It helps us to also see ourselves — the value and importance of all of our traditions and culture.”
