Local Indigenous groups praised the "positive step" taken by US President Joe Biden to reinstate protections for two important national monuments in Utah after they were significantly reduced under the Trump administration.
Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama established Grand Staircase Escalante as protected lands. However, they were reduced by more than two thirds by Donald Trump's administration in 2017. Experts claim that this was the biggest ever reduction in federally protected lands in America. According to the New York Times, Biden's decision to restore protections will allow more than three million acres of land in southern Utah to be granted and slightly expand Bears Ears beyond its original designation.
These regions are popular among climbers, stargazers, and hikers. They have also been home to Indigenous peoples over thousands of years. Over 100,000 sacred sites are found in the Bears Ears area alone, making it a significant cultural and spiritual site for many Indigenous communities. The Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition, a group of local nations that have been advocating meaningful landscape protections, welcomed Biden’s decision Friday. They said they consider it a positive step towards uplifting Indigenous perspectives, and respecting Tribes' inherent right to manage ancestral homelands.
These protections are intended to recognize the long-lasting cultural and ancestral connections that local tribes have with the landscape Getty Images/Aurora Open
The federal government has an historic opportunity to learn from and integrate tribal land management practices through the Monument. These practices, which we have developed over the centuries, are more important than ever," Chairman Shaun Chapoose of Ute Indian Tribe Business Committee, and member of BEITC, stated in a statement. "President Biden was correct to support the action taken almost five years ago by President Obama. Because it is important, we fought for the Monument.
In 1906, the Antiquities Act was created to allow presidents to grant monument status to national treasures that are located on federal land or sea preserves. These areas are protected from any commercial activities that might cause damage to the environment by being designated a national monument.
Obama created the Bears Ears Monument in 2016 and set it aside as permanent protection. He noted the area's extraordinary archaeological and cultural record and its "profoundly holy" significance for several Indigenous tribes. The BEITT and local environmental organizations saw an increase in vandalism and off-road vehicle traffic in sensitive areas. They also observed other damage to the cultural and natural resources of the area.
Bears Ears is home to over 100,000 sacred sites Getty Images
The coalition is comprised of representatives from the Hopi Tribe (Navajo Nation), Hopi Tribe and Ute Mountain Ute Tribe. Through consultation with government agencies, local tribes, and local governments, a comprehensive plan for land management is created for Bears Ears.
A spokesperson for BEITT said that President Biden would recognize the Tribes' deep and enduring cultural and ancestral connections to the landscape. He will also take a step towards honoring his commitments to Indigenous Peoples by acknowledging their original position in this country, which is now our shared homeland.
The USA's National Parks
