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27 December, 2017
For thousands of years, Navajo, Ute, Paiute, and Hopi, along with countless other
indigenous peoples have built and lived in the Bears Ears and surrounding areas. Many
descendants of these very people still hold claim to the land, it is their home. As in most every
culture, a great love and admiration is felt toward the land of their heritage. Shaun Chapoose, a
tribal leader of the Utes describes the land, “Imagine you're out, and you're in an area that's never
been touched, where it's so quiet you could hear a bird flutter. You could hear squirrels chirping.
But your views aren't disrupted by modern lights or nothing.” (Kelly). This land, as sacred and
important as it is, will no longer be protected by the federal government as it was before. Interior
Secretary Ryan Zinke proposed back in August to reduce the size of Bears Ears, Grand Staircase
Escalante, Gold Bute, and others from the request of President Trump earlier this year to review
all national monuments established since 1996 that cover an area larger than 100,000 acres
(Cama). The plan was laid out by President Donald J. Trump on the steps of the Utah Capitol
building this December, is to reduce the size of Bears Ears National Monument by 1,148,603
(85% of the previous monuments acreage) (“Trump Expected to Slice Monuments by More Than
Previously Signaled” 1). This reduction of national monuments across the country has enraged a
range of audiences from outdoor retailers to Native Americans, many of which have promised to
sue the federal government from the moment Trump announced the reduction. Republican
government officials from Utah are ecstatic that president has heard them and is stepping in to
reverse the federal land grabs that are these monuments. Bears Ears has always been full of much
controversy in Utah from the first introduction in 2015 to the possible destruction in 2017, each
side with its own ranks of supporters. This monument and others like it were created in a similar
fashion, under the Antiquities Act of 1906 wherein a president has “unilateral authority” to
protect and set aside land he believes to be in danger (“Trump Expected to Slice Monuments by
Figure 1: “Reports: Bears Ears to be cut by 85 percent, Grand Staircase by half,” Deseret News,
November 30, 2017. Deseret News.
Thousands upon thousands of ruins lay within the monument, of which range from the
magnificent cliff dwellings to the awe inspiring Newspaper rock where over 650 writings are
found (“Bears Ears is home to more than 100,000 Native American archaeological and cultural
sites considered sacred by many tribes”). The belief of the tribes is that once the reduction is
made to Bears Ears and the land is returned to the state, proper protections will not be put in
place to preserve their heritage. In response to president Trump’s announcement to reduce this
and other monuments the Bears Ears Coalition has promised to sue because they believe it to be
unconstitutional. On December 4, 2017 President Trump gave the official statement to reduce the
sacred monument by more than 85%. Immediately following the act the Navajo Nation, NARF
(representing the Hopi Tribe, Pueblo of Zuni, and Ute Mountain Ute Tribe), and the Ute Indian
Tribe filed a lawsuit against the president (“Tribes File Suit to Protect Bears Ears”). In attempt to
not allow history to repeat itself and have their land taken again, the natives are fighting back and
this time with the backup of conservationist, outdoor recreational companies, ranchers, and
thousands of concerned citizens. The lawsuits goal is to reset the monument in its original status
as organized by president Obama in 2015. The tribes belief is that the action to revoke and
replace the monuments was a presidential power abuse and not constitutional or acceptable under
“The Antiquities Act of 1906 authorizes the President to proclaim national monuments on
Federal lands that contain “historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other
objects of historic or scientific interest.” The President is to reserve “the smallest area compatible
with the proper care and management of the objects to be protected.” ("Establishment of
preserve and protect as states in the Act, but nowhere written is it stated that a president may
revoke or replace. This is the key argument in the lawsuit, that is is unconstitutional and that the
president does not have the rights or the authority to do what he has done. The lawsuits are still
since the creation of this country. Our Founding Fathers built this country on religious principles
and believed in a true, unchanging freedom to practice that religion as desired. Freedom of
religion is a fundamental part of the United States, then and now and will continue to go on as
such. The land in and around Bears Ears is sacred to the Native tribes surrounding it. There are
cities of great importance spread throughout the monument both ancient and new. The Bears
Ears Coalition website has a page dedicated to the importance of the land to the natives:
Native American connections to Bears Ears aren’t just about protecting the past.
Many Native Americans visit the area on a regular basis for ceremonies and to
connect with their ancestors. The Navajo Nation and the White Mesa Ute
Reservation border Bears Ears on the south and east, respectively. Navajo and Ute
people frequent the land to collect herbs and medicine, forage for food (such as
piñon nuts), gather firewood for heating and ceremonial use, and to hunt game.
(“Bears Ears is home to more than 100,000 Native American archaeological and
Some other affected parties to the shrunken size of the national monuments are
conservationists, environmentalists, and scientists. These groups were of the first to file a lawsuit
against president Trump, “The groups say Trump's decision endangers a "Dinosaur Shangri-la"
full of fossils. Some dinosaur fossils sit on a plateau that is home to one of the country's largest
known coal reserves, which could now be open to mining.” (Woodward 3). This article goes on
to say how this large reserve of fossils is also the same point where one of the country's largest
coal reserves lie, implying that if the restriction of mining and drilling is lifted then these fossils
may be endangered. In a national monument drilling, tapping, and mining are all prohibited but
when Trump reduces the size of Bears Ears all of the land that was monument and now is not
became opened up to mining companies. Alongside of native americans, these groups are
fighting vicious in courts to have the legislation reversed and the monuments returned to their
original status. Randi Spivak of the Center for Biological Diversity said in short, reducing the
size of the monuments has given the title of worst modern president to president Trump ( "In
Utah, Trump to Outline Plans to Shrink Monuments") 150 scientists form 19 states all sent in
letters to the administration explaining why each and everyone of them saw the importance and
need to protect Bears Ears for the natural wonders and paleontology work that can be done there.
Arguing the land was full of marvelous wonders and cannot be allowed to become susceptible to
possible destruction through improper protection. Through the paleontology work that has been
conducted in the area over the past years has discovered 27 brand new species not known to
science, as well as a whole phase of mammal evolution ("Trump Expected to Slice Monuments
Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah called in his special favour with president Trump to make
this all possible. Hatch gave Trump his support during the republican nomination campaign and
it helped sway the vote so in turn Trump owed Hatch. Trump doing his part of the favour, “I'm
approving the Bears Ears recommendation for you, Orrin," Trump told the senator in a morning
phone call, according to Hatch's office (Eilperin, Darryl 1). The land in and around Bears Ears is
rich with minerals and prim for mining and thus Hatch urged Trump to allow for mining in the
monument area. Hatch goes on to tell of how Republicans, himself included see the important in
protecting the sacred artifacts within the monument, but also see the immense economic
opportunity through mining. His own people and some of the Trump administration have gone
throughout Utah getting the opinions of locals of the area and tribes to see how to best reach a
conclusion to the problem. It's a very popular thing with the public to get them involved on an
issue that really does affect them, shown through an example given by the mayor of San Juan
county, the country in which Bears Ears is located, he says,”We're tickled to death. You have a
president of the United States who's interested in a county in Utah with 15,000 residents."
President Trump and Senator Hatch alike are not interested in destroying the monuments
or allowing what is in the monuments to disappear, they want to find a middle ground where the
natives and conversationalists are appeased but at the same time their agenda is to reverse the
federal land grab they call Bears Ears and give it back to the state. They recognize the spiritual
importance of the land to the natives and so they went and talked to them, attempting to find a
place to set aside that will work for the population as a whole. The native american groups in the
area are going to continue to fight the legislation and try to prevent being overrun again and
force their voice to be heard. The land is sacred to them and in no way do they want to give it up.
For the time being and unless the legislation is overturned in the courts then Bears Ears has been
split up and cut by 85% of its original size, the 15% will continue to remain at a National
Monument.
Works Cited
“Bears Ears is home to more than 100,000 Native American archaeological and cultural sites,
Trump's Curious Case for Shrinking Monuments. US News Online, Associated Press
DBA Press Association, 12/06/2017. EBSCOhost,
Cama, Timothy. “Trump orders review of national monuments.” The Hill. The Hill, 27 April
Eilperin, Juliet and Darryl Fears. "Trump Wants to Reduce Bears Ears; Native Americans Vow
to
Fight in Court." The Washington Post. 10. EBSCOhost. Web. 1 Dec. 2017.
Congressional Digest, vol. 96, no. 6, June 2017, p. 6. EBSCOhost. Web. 26 Dec. 2017.
Juliet, Eilperin. "In Utah, Trump to Outline Plans to Shrink Monuments." Washington Post, the,
Juliet, Eilperin. "Trump Expected to Slice Monuments by More Than Previously Signaled."
Kelly, Mary L. “Native Americans React To Cuts To Bears Ears National Monument.” NPR,
“Tribes File Suit to Protect Bears Ears.” Bears Ears Coalition. Bears Ears Coalition. 04 Dec.