BY KENNETH MARYBOY
As political rhetoric by Utah's political elite reaches a fever pitch, it's more important than ever to sit down and share the origin story of Bears Ears National Monument as we address even larger challenges ahead in San Juan County. By learning from our past, we can all come to understand where we are headed on this path of healing.
Back in 2009 when I was a county commissioner of San Juan County, the FBI conducted a sting operation in Blanding, netting the largest archaeological grave-robbing bust in U.S. history. Forty-thousand Native American artifacts were ultimately seized (many from the Bears Ears region) and 17 Blanding residents arrested in a raid that shook our whole county.
My Navajo relatives and Ute friends were shocked that our non-Native neighbors continued to desecrate our holy places and rob the gravesites of our ancestors, despite previous arrests. We could never imagine treating a pioneer cemetery in such a way, or secretly stealing objects from another faith's temple. We couldn't believe such offenses were still being committed in the 21st century.