Rupert Steele, chairman of the Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation, died Thursday morning.
"Steele forged friendships with local, state and federal leaders — ensuring the voice and interests of the tribe were well-represented," the statement reads. "Undoubtedly, Chairman Steele's impact will outlive this generation. Importantly, Utah remains deeply committed to Chairman Steele's efforts to codify the Indian Child Welfare Act and defend tribal sovereignty."
Steele was born and raised on the Goshute Reservation in Ibapah, in western Tooele County, to parents Jane Dugan Steele and Hubert Steele. He attended Stewart Indian High School in Nevada, Southwest Indian Polytechnic Institute in New Mexico and Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, where he studied forestry and natural resources management.
All I can say is that I love him and he impacted my life greatly. I will honor him the rest of my life.However, he wasn't always active in tribal politics. He said seeing how tribal issues were handled on a federal level during his time as a government employee motivated him to get involved in politics.
Steele, who grew up before the act was passed in 1978, described running and hiding when non-Native individuals would visit the reservation out of fear of being removed from his home, something he said he saw happen to many other children on the reservation.
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