“Tuniyay- To Tell the Story”

“Tuniyay- To Tell the Story” 

Why did the good people stand by as the Ute children were stripped of their language and culture at the Indian Boarding School?

Tuniyay is a powerful look at a century of forcing the Utes and other indigenous children to be taken away from their homes and further forced to “be white-like.” They were forbidden to speak the Ute language, forced to speak only in English, outfitted in matching uniforms like the military would wear, and even had their long and sacred hair cut into the exact short styles worn by white school children. Children were also ordered to give up their religion which was called “superstition” and convert to Christianity. The desire was to take children and wipe out their whole culture within a generation.

One boarding school surrounded our Episcopal Church, St. Elizabeth’s,  in Whiterocks. Acting on a General Convention resolution of reconciliation, Bishop Phyllis Spiegel and her Communication Director at the time, Craig Wirth, created Tuniyay. Wirth wanted to call it Tuniyay - which is the Ute word for "telling the story" that couldn’t even be told at the time or even uttered in the forbidden language. The documentary further discusses how the “good people” of Utah let the discrimination continue - in slurs, tasteless cartoons portraying the Indigenous people, and even in our sports mascots.

Our parishioner Craig Wirth (who wrote and filmed the documentary) is indebted to the knowledge, forceful truthtelling, and kindness of Ute Elder Forrest Cuch. Forrest Cuch is the main voice and authority in telling the story. Elder Cuch is also Senior Warden of St. Elizabeth's and to add considerable and meaningful conversation, he will be at St. Luke's for remarks after the showing. We are extremely grateful for his presence to create a remarkable evening.Without Forrest Cuch, there would be no Tuniyay film.

St. Luke’s has a history of serving St. Elizabeth’s in establishing the new children’s art program, in assisting the Whiterocks Church through its modern history, and support. We encourage St. Luke’s parishioners to invite others to this evening showing.