President Trump’s decision to reduce Bears Ears National Monument disregards Indigenous peoples’ historical connection to the land. The lack of tribal consultation prior to this proclamation is a clear signal that this administration devalues the importance of land to Indigenous traditions and values.
The five tribes that form the Bears Ears Coalition, the Hopi, Navajo, Ute, Ute Mountain Ute, and Zuni, have filed a lawsuit against the president and administration officials. They argue that under the Antiquities Act, the president has the power to establish monuments, but does not have the authority to abolish monuments.
Zuni councilmember Carleton Bowekaty states, “The President’s action is without legal authority and without respect for the Native Americans that worked for decades to protect these resources. His proposal is a strong statement to Tribes across the nation that Native American values and interests are not important to the Trump administration.”
By revoking the protections provided to Bears Ears, the land is now open to fossil fuel development and uranium mining. Thousands of archaeological and sacred cultural sites are now vulnerable to looting and vandalism. Once this site is damaged, it cannot be restored to the natural, historic, archeological, and cultural value that it now holds.
FCNL stands with the tribes and urges that the protections given to Bears Ears as a national monument be upheld.
