On December 28, President Obama issued a proclamation establishing 1.35 million acres in Southeastern Utah as the Bears Ears National Monument. This area is as rich in beauty as it is in cultural history for several Native tribes.
On December 28, President Obama issued a proclamation establishing 1.35 million acres in Southeastern Utah as the Bears Ears National Monument. This area is as rich in beauty as it is in cultural history for several Native tribes, including the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Navajo Nation, Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah Ouray, Hopi Nation, and Zuni Tribe.
The proclamation details much of the history of the area, and the physical historical records and art that need careful protection for preservation. The text of the proclamation also expresses respect for the cultural significance of the area for generations of tribes:
“The area’s cultural importance to Native American tribes continues to this day. As they have for generations, these tribes and their members come here for ceremonies and to visit sacred sites. Throughout the region, many landscape features, such as Comb Ridge, the San Juan River, and Cedar Mesa, are closely tied to native stories of creation, danger, protection, and healing. The towering spires in the Valley of the Gods are sacred to the Navajo, representing ancient Navajo warriors frozen in stone. Traditions of hunting, fishing, gathering, and wood cutting are still practiced by tribal members, as is collection of medicinal and ceremonial plants, edible herbs, and materials for crafting items like baskets and footwear. The traditional ecological knowledge amassed by the Native Americans whose ancestors inhabited this region, passed down from generation to generation, offers critical insight into the historic and scientific significance of the area. Such knowledge is, itself, a resource to be protected and used in understanding and managing this landscape sustainably for generations to come.”
Presidents are authorized to withdraw lands from the normal commerce and activities of the nation, in order to protect them for the future and for compatible, reserved uses in the present. Congress has no role in approving or disapproving a president’s declaration, although in the 114th Congress, the Utah delegation had introduced legislation that set forth a different, multi-use vision of how this area would be managed. As a national monument, the area will be protected from uses that are incompatible with preservation.
The proclamation summarizes the need for protection:
“Protection of the Bears Ears area will preserve its cultural, prehistoric, and historic legacy and maintain its diverse array of natural and scientific resources, ensuring that the prehistoric, historic, and scientific values of this area remain for the benefit of all Americans. The Bears Ears area has been proposed for protection by members of Congress, Secretaries of the Interior, State and tribal leaders, and local conservationists for at least 80 years. The area contains numerous objects of historic and of scientific interest, and it provides world class outdoor recreation opportunities, including rock climbing, hunting, hiking, backpacking, canyoneering, whitewater rafting, mountain biking, and horseback riding. Because visitors travel from near and far, these lands support a growing travel and tourism sector that is a source of economic opportunity for the region.”
