President Obama’s declaration of the Bears Ears National Monument on December 28th, 2016 validated the considerable effort by Tribes and local community members to protect and manage the living cultural landscape of the Bears Ears region of southeastern Utah. Through the Bears Ears National Monument, Native Nations are bringing their voices to the management of our public lands, and all Americans will benefit from the ancient wisdom of our people.
This has begun with the formation of the Bears Ears Tribal Commission. The Bears Ears’ proclamation calls for a partnership t between land management agencies and our five tribes (Navajo, Hopi, Ute, Ute Mountain Ute, and Zuni), each represented on this Bears Ears Tribal Commission. Each of our tribes has carefully considered the appointment of representatives to the Commission. Our Commission will be working alongside federal agencies to provide guidance and recommendations on the planning and management of the new monument.
Our inaugural meeting was held in Bluff, Utah, within view of the new monument on March 30, 2017. There, we envisioned our purpose, elected Commission co-chairs, began to identify management issues requiring immediate attention, and prepared for our first meeting with federal land managers.