BLM and Tribal Coalition Sign Co-Management Agreement for Bears Ears National Monument

Image: Bears Ears National Monument Vincebradley on Adobe Stock

On June 18, 2022 Tribal leaders from the Hopi Tribe, Navajo Nation, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe , Pueblo of Zuni, and Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation signed a historic agreement with the United States Bureau of Land Management that initiates “cooperative management” of Bears Ears National Monument, a site that is considered sacred to the tribes.

The agreement points out the importance of consulting with the Tribal leaders on land use and development decisions as “Tribal Nations, and particularly Tribal Elders, have important knowledge, local expertise, and an understanding of the spiritual significance of the Bears Ears region beyond the physical environment.”

In an Instagram post about the agreement, the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition, a collection of leaders from the aforementioned tribes, said ”Though we recognize this is a major accomplishment we acknowledge that we still have a lot of work to do to ensure that our homelands are protected for generations to come.”