Staff | Executive Director | Tribe Contacts

Forrest S. Cuch, Director
fscuch@utah.gov
Division of Indian Affairs
July 2007

Forrest is an enrolled member of the Ute Indian Tribe.  He was born (1951) and raised on the Uintah and Ouray Ute Indian Reservation in northeastern Utah. He attended public schools until grade nine wherein he attended and graduated (1969) from Wasatch Academy, Mt. Pleasant, Utah.  In 1973, he graduated from Westminster College, Salt Lake City, Utah, with a Bachelors of Arts Degree in the Behavioral Sciences.

In 1971, Forrest married Carla Giles, a Wampanoag businesswoman from Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.  Forrest and Carla have one son, Cameron, who works for Ute Energy, the Ute Tribe’s own energy development company.

After graduating from college, Forrest served as education director for the Ute Indian Tribe for the period of 1973 to 1988.  During this time, he developed many educational programs, which greatly benefited the Ute people, including efforts leading to the publication of the tribe’s history book, A History of the Northern Ute People, University of Utah Press, 1982.  More recently, Forrest was editor to the fall 2000 publication of A History of Utah’s American Indians, Utah State University Press.  

In 1988, Forrest served as planner for the newly recognized tribe, the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah), Gay Head, Massachusetts.  His primary responsibility was to design and develop the service programs to be contracted by the tribe from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the federal agency assigned to oversee the tribe’s operations.  Forrest acquired nation-building experience when he became responsible for a long-range strategic plan for the tribe.  He was responsible for managing the first two major building projects constructed on tribal lands, a multipurpose building and an access road.  He also served as tribal administrator during the period of 1992 to 1994.

In 1994, Forrest was appointed social studies’ department head at Wasatch Academy, Mt. Pleasant, Utah.  As department head, Forrest managed the social studies’ department, developed a multi-cultural program and taught a full load of classes.

In October 1997, Forrest accepted his current position as executive director, Utah Division of Indian Affairs.  He sees his present job as a major challenge with primary emphasis on educating Utah leaders and the general public, not only calling attention to the ancient presence of American Indian people in Utah, but also their present and enduring plight as citizens with very unique contributions yet to be made to modern day society.  Forrest served as a trustee, representing American Indians on the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games.  Forrest gives many presentations on Ute History, Utah Indian History, American Indian History, Indian Education, Economic Development on Utah Reservations, and other related subjects.