Ute Tribe alleges state interference in bid to buy Tabby Mountain land

The Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation alleges a top Utah lawmaker interfered with its effort to buy back ancestral land in eastern Utah, according to Utah News Dispatch. The tribe sued the Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration and multiple state officials, saying its nearly $47 million bid for the 28,500-acre Tabby Mountain property was the highest legitimate offer and was rejected due to racial discrimination. The agency ultimately decided in 2019 not to sell the land.

An amended lawsuit filed in November names Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz and alleges he worked with other officials to block the sale and retaliate against the tribe through new legislation. Schultz declined to comment on the lawsuit but said in a joint statement that claims presented are inaccurate, according to Utah News Dispatch. The suit seeks a court order compelling the sale and punitive damages.