The Southern Ute Indian Tribe and Ute Mountain Ute Tribe are set to receive a total of roughly $2 million in opioid settlement funds, Attorney General Phil Weiser announced on Thursday.

The tribes can use the one-time funding for drug treatment, recovery, prevention and education programs, Weiser’s office said. 

The Southern Ute Indian Tribe will receive nearly $1.3 million, while the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe will get roughly $750,000 from the state share of opioid settlement money.

The state share represents 10% of all opioid settlement funds coming to Colorado.

Weiser’s office calculated the amount for each tribe based on the effects of the opioid crisis in their communities. 

The money is separate from any settlement directly between Native American tribes and drug distributors, manufacturers, and other companies, Weiser’s office said.

The tribes must use the funds for opioid abatement purposes as outlined in a joint framework that the Colorado Department of Law and local governments signed in August 2021.

“Tribal communities suffered some of the worst consequences of the opioid crisis of any population in the country,” Weiser said. “No amount of money will be enough to address the outsized impact of the opioid crisis on tribal communities, but the funds from Colorado’s share of opioid settlements will provide critical resources to the Ute Mountain Utes and Southern Utes to save lives.”

The Colorado Opioid Abatement Council provides oversight of the opioid settlement funds to ensure compliance with the terms of any settlement and the joint framework. So far, about $43 million has been distributed to 19 regional opioid abatement councils and local governments.