Colorado Plateau natives

UTES

This Indigenous group’s name shares its first two letters with a western U.S. state.

The clue "Colorado Plateau natives" refers to the Ute people, an Indigenous group historically based in the Colorado Plateau region, which spans parts of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. The answer "UTES" is a straightforward reference to their name, with no wordplay involved—just a direct cultural and geographical connection. If you're familiar with Native American tribes of the Southwest, this one is a common crossword answer.