People and Place Inspire Action for Bears Ears

For the first time in the 110-year history of the Antiquities Act, Native American tribes are using it to request that their ancestral lands be protected.

BY TIM PETERSON

Since Alastair Bitsóí’s cover story, “This Land is What I’m Here For,” in the fall/winter 2015 issue of the Advocate, the people’s movement for Bears Ears continues to grow. The Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition has prepared a practical proposal to protect and collaboratively manage 1.9 million acres of transcendent public lands surrounding the Bears Ears in southeastern Utah.

Their proposal calls on history and law while laying out a bold vision for a future in which the five core coalition tribes–Hopi, Navajo, Ute, Ute Mountain Ute, and Zuni–work together to manage this vibrant cultural landscape as equals with federal land managers. A world-class center that integrates Native American traditional knowledge and western science is envisioned for this place (see Jim Enote's. More than just management, their proposal offers to preserve Bears Ears while sharing the Native worldview with all Americans lucky enough to visit.

The intertribal coalition’s proposal was delivered to the Obama administration on October 15th, 2015, in Washington D.C. A stirring press conference followed, with tribal leaders speaking from the heart about what Bears Ears means to their people.

A normally stoic Washington press corps broke into applause.

Above: The Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition press conference in Washington D.C. Photo by: Gavin Noyes, Utah Diné Bikéyah

Shortly afterward, at the 2015 Native Nations Conference, President Barack Obama himself said: “Moving forward, we’ll review tribal proposals to permanently protect sacred lands for future generations.” As momentum builds, more and more supporters are lining up behind the cause. The National Congress of American Indians, representing over 250 tribes nationwide, passed a resolution endorsing protection and collaborative management for Bears Ears.

Bears Ears has garnered media attention worldwide as people are inspired by a truly historic convergence of events.

For the first time in the 110-year history of the Antiquities Act, Native American tribes are using the Act to request that their ancestral lands be protected.

Until now, the Antiquities Act has been used to protect Native American artifacts, but Bears Ears would be America’s first national monument to honor not just objects, but the vibrant modern-day people and cultures connected to them. 2016 holds great things for Bears Ears.

Please join us in supporting the intertribal coalition by reading the proposal and signing the petition ›

Tim Peterson serves as the Trust’s Utah Wildlands Program director.

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