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PHOTOS: Kenny Frost’s legacy, Ute history celebrated in new mural at Colorado Mountain College Rifle

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Katherine Tomanek

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Larry Cesspooch, Ute Spiritual Leader and Storyteller, speaks to the crowd before telling the Ute creation story that he learned from his grandmother at Colorado Mountain College Rifle on Thursday evening during the presentation of the new mural in CMC's hallway honoring the Ute.
Katherine Tomanek/Post Independent

Colorado Mountain College in Rifle unveiled a mural Thursday evening honoring the Ute people who lived in the area before settlers arrived in the late 1800s.

The mural depicts the four seasons — spring, summer, autumn and winter — with artist Jeremy Velasquez painting the late Ute advocate Kenny Frost between autumn and winter.

The event featured stories about Frost, and Ute spiritual leader and storyteller Larry Cesspooch shared the Ute creation story. At the end of the gathering, Cesspooch blessed the crowd, saying, “Kenny is here with us. I can feel his spirit here with us.”

Vice President and Campus Dean, Tinker Duclo (left) presents President Dr. Matt Gianneschi of Colorado Mountain College Rifle to explain the importance of remembering history on Thursday evening.
Katherine Tomanek/Post Independent
Darien Neskahi, grandson of Ute member and advocate, Kenny Frost, speaks about his grandfather during the mural presentation at Colorado Mountain College at Rifle on Thursday evening.
Katherine Tomanek/Post Independent
Jeremy Velasquez, artist of the mural, was a friend of Kenny Frost’s and wanted to put him into one of his pieces for a while. Frost passed before that happened, but Velasquez put him into this mural on Colorado Mountain College at Rifle’s hallway and Velasquez spoke about his friendship with Frost on Thursday evening.
Katherine Tomanek/Post Independent
Velasquez looks back on his work, containing the four seasons, spring, summer, autumn and winter, and between autumn and winter is Kenny Frost at Colorado Mountain College Rifle’s campus on Thursday evening.
Katherine Tomanek/Post Independent
Larry Cesspooch, Ute Spiritual Leader and Storyteller, told the creation story of the Ute, using props like a lighter to enhance the story: Creator snaps his fingers and there appears light, and he was happy.
Katherine Tomanek/Post Independent
A map of the different Ute bands, mainly made up of different families, and where they lived over Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and part of Arizona, with Larry Cesspooch describing where the Ute lived.
Katherine Tomanek/Post Independent
Larry Cesspooch and his stuffed coyote, whom he named and tells stories with her. She plays famous trickster, Coyote, called Yogovüch by the Ute.
Katherine Tomanek/Post Independent
Kenny Frost in the mural of the Ute at Colorado Mountain College in Rifle .
Katherine Tomanek/Post Independent
Tinker Duclo, Jeremy Velasquez, Larry Cesspooch and Kenny Frost’s family pictured with Frost in the mural at Colorado Mountain College in Rifle on Thursday evening after Cesspooch’s telling of the Ute creation story.
Katherine Tomanek/Post Independent

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