Voices from Bears Ears

Seeking Common Ground on Sacred Land

By Rebecca Robinson; By (photographer) Stephen E. Strom; Foreword by Patricia Nelson Limerick

The University of Arizona Press

In late 2016, President Barack Obama designated 1.35 million acres of public lands in southeastern Utah as Bears Ears National Monument. On December 4, 2017, President Donald Trump shrank the monument by 85 percent. A land rich in human history and unsurpassed in natural beauty, Bears Ears is at the heart of a national debate over the future of public lands.

Through the stories of twenty individuals, and informed by interviews with more than seventy people, Voices from Bears Ears captures the passions of those who fought to protect Bears Ears and those who opposed the monument as a federal “land grab” that threatened to rob them of their economic future. It gives voice to those who have felt silenced, ignored, or disrespected. It shares stories of those who celebrate a growing movement by Indigenous peoples to protect ancestral lands and culture, and those who speak devotedly about their Mormon heritage. What unites these individuals is a reverence for a homeland that defines their cultural and spiritual identity, and therein lies hope for finding common ground.

Journalist Rebecca Robinson provides context and perspective for understanding the ongoing debate and humanizes the abstract issues at the center of the debate. Interwoven with these stories are photographs of the interviewees and the land they consider sacred by photographer Stephen E. Strom. Through word and image, Robinson and Strom allow us to both hear and see the people whose lives are intertwined with this special place.

Here is an important breakthrough book—beautiful to look at and heartening to read. By listening keenly to the people whose roots go deep into the swirling sandstone of Bears Ears country, by looking respectfully into the faces of the high cliffs and the equally expressive faces of the people who love this land, Robinson and Strom give us an impressive example of what it will take to find common ground.’—Kathleen Dean Moore, author of Great Tide Rising

‘Protection of Bears Ears as a sacred cultural landscape was an historic step forward, a watershed moment too quickly shattered. This insightful book keeps a deep conversation between land and people alive and provides hope that western culture will continue that dialogue as we learn to honor and respect sacred lands.’—Christopher ‘Toby’ McLeod, Sacred Land Film Project

Rebecca Robinson is a Portland, Oregon–based writer. Her work has been widely published, and she has received numerous awards for her work in print, radio, and online media. Voices from Bears Ears is her first book.

Stephen E. Strom received his PhD in astronomy from Harvard University in 1964. Strom’s photographic work is held in several permanent collections, including the Center for Creative Photography in Tucson. His most recent book is Bears Ears: Views from a Sacred Land.

Foreword by Patricia Nelson Limerick
Preface
A Note on the Structure of This Book

Introduction

Connecting to Sacred Lands: Voices of Two Cultures
Jonah Yellowman: Caring for Ancestral Lands, Leading Prayers for Healing
Interlude: Native Cosmology and Land Stewardship
Kay and Patsy Shumway: Honoring a Pioneer Past, Continuing a Tradition of Faith
Interlude: Mormon Theology and Land Stewardship

Shaping the Future of Public Lands: Different Visions for San Juan County
Mark Maryboy: Documenting Cultural Resources, Advocating for Protection of Native Homelands
Phil Lyman: Facilitating Dialogue About Public Lands, Leading the Fight Against Federal Overreach
Interlude: A Brief Overview of Native and Mormon Connection to San Juan County
Rob Bishop: Developing a “Grand Bargain,” Defending the Rights of States and Localities
Interlude: History of the Antiquities Act and Background on the Federal Lands Transfer Movement
Gavin Noyes: Elevating the Vision of Native Peoples, Protecting Culturally Significant Lands
Interlude: Attempts to Forge Compromise in the Use of Public Lands
Time Line of Land-Use Planning: Twin Visions Evolve
Rebecca Benally: Pursuing Prosperity for Utah’s Tribes, Opposing a National Monument
Heidi Redd: Working Toward Compromise, Seeking Balance Between Preservation and Development
Josh Ewing: Building Bridges Between Diverse Groups, Protecting Endangered Landscapes
Bruce Adams: Representing Rural Utahns, Championing Local Land-Use Solutions
Bill Boyle: Providing San Juan County with Balanced News, Guiding the County Toward a New Future

Protecting Ancestral Lands: Exercising Tribal Sovereignty
Charles Wilkinson: Advocating for a National Monument, Promoting Indigenous Self-Determination
Interlude: Tribal Sovereignty Explained
Natasha Hale: Connecting Grassroots Activists and Tribal Leaders, Supporting Native Entrepreneurship
Regina Lopez-Whiteskunk: Responding to a Call to Lead, Speaking for People and the Planet
Carleton Bowekaty: Protecting Zuni Sacred Sites, Championing Cultural Preservation
Don Simonis: Preserving Archaeological Resources, Educating the Public to Respect the Past
Winston Hurst: Studying Ancestral Puebloan Civilizations, Bearing Witness to Intercultural Conflict
Shaun Chapoose: Fighting to Achieve Justice, Finding Strength in Numbers

A Path Forward: Establishing Trust, Healing Wounds
Kate Cannon: Managing Utah’s Public Lands, Strengthening Relationships with Local Communities
Interlude: Reflection on a Successful Compromise
Alfred and Sahmie Lomahquahu: Serving a Tribe and a Coalition, Connecting All People to Sacred Lands

Coda: December 2016–February 2018
Acknowledgments
Maps
Tribal Lands of the Colorado Plateau
Hole-in-the-Rock Trail
Federal Lands on the Colorado Plateau
National Parks, Monuments, Recreation Areas, and Forests Before Bears Ears
Physical Features of the Colorado Plateau
Mineral Resources on the Colorado Plateau
History of Canyonlands National Park
Bears Ears National Monument Proposal and Public Lands Initiative Proposed National Conservation and Wilderness Areas
Boundaries of Bears Ears National Monument Declared by President Obama in December 2016 Compared to the Original Proposal by the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition and the Utah Public Lands Initiative
Boundaries of Bears Ears National Monument Declared by President Obama in 2016 Compared to the Boundaries after President Trump Reduced the Area by 85 Percent in 2017
Individuals Profiled
Author’s Reflections
Photographer’s Reflections
Historical Time Line
Public Lands Glossary
Resources and Suggested Readings
Index

Related Titles