Voices from Bears Ears: Seeking Common Ground on Sacred Land

by Rebecca Robinson, Stephen E. Strom (Photographer), Patricia Nelson Limerick (Foreword by)

Overview

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.

 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780816538058
Publisher:	University of Arizona Press
Publication date:	10/30/2018
Pages:	440
Sales rank:	1,073,857
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.60(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

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.

Table of Contents

Foreword Patricia Nelson Limerick xi

Preface xvii

A Note on the Structure of This Book xix

Introduction 3

Connecting to Sacred Lands: Voices of Two Cultures

Caring for Ancestral Lands, Leading Prayers for Healing Jonah Yellowman 23

Interlude: Native Cosmology and Land Stewardship 33

Honoring a Pioneer Past, Continuing a Tradition of Faith Kay Patsy Shumway 37

Interlude: Mormon Theology and Land Stewardship 45

Shaping the Future of Public Lands: Different Visions for San Juan County

Documenting Cultural Resources, Advocating for Protection of Native Homelands Mark Maryboy 51

Facilitating Dialogue About Public Lands, Leading the Fight Against Federal Overreach Phil Lyman 61

Interlude: A Brief Overview of Native and Mormon Connection to San Juan County 74

Developing a "Grand Bargain," Defending the Rights of States and Localities Rob Bishop 83

Interlude: History of the Antiquities Act and Background on the Federal Lands Transfer Movement 95

Elevating the Vision of Native Peoples, Protecting Culturally Significant Lands Gavin Noyes 101

Interlude: Attempts to Forge Compromise in the Use of Public Lands 114

Time Line of Land-Use Planning: Twin Visions Evolve 117

Pursuing Prosperity for Utah's Tribes, Opposing a National Monument Rebecca Benally 119

Working Toward Compromise, Seeking Balance Between Preservation and Development Heidi Redd 127

Building Bridges Between Diverse Groups, Protecting Endangered Landscapes Josh Ewing 141

Representing Rural Utahns, Championing Local Land-Use Solutions Bruce Adams 151

Providing San Juan County with Balanced News, Guiding the County Toward a New Future Bill Boyle 159

Protecting Ancestral Lands: Exercising Tribal Sovereignty

Advocating for a National Monument, Promoting Indigenous Self-Determination Charles Wilkinson 169

Interlude: Tribal Sovereignty Explained 177

Connecting Grassroots Activists and Tribal Leaders, Supporting Native Entrepreneurship Natasha Hale 181

Responding to a Call to Lead, Speaking for People and the Planet Regina Lopez-Whiteskunk 195

Protecting Zuni Sacred Sites, Championing Cultural Preservation Carleton Bowekaty 205

Preserving Archaeological Resources, Educating the Public to Respect the Past Don Simonis 215

Studying Ancestral Puebloan Civilizations, Bearing Witness to Intercultural Conflict Winston Hurst 223

Fighting to Achieve Justice, Finding Strength in Numbers Shaun Chapoose 233

A Path Forward: Establishing Trust, Healing Wounds

Managing Utah's Public Lands, Strengthening Relationships with Local Communities Kate Cannon 247

Interlude: Reflection on a Successful Compromise 254

Serving a Tribe and a Coalition, Connecting All People to Sacred Lands Alfred Sahmie Lomahquahu 257

Coda: December 2016-February 2018 273

Acknowledgments 313

Maps

Tribal Lands of the Colorado Plateau 320

Hole-in-the-Rock Trail 321

Federal Lands on the Colorado Plateau 322

National Parks, Monuments, Recreation Areas, and Forests Before Bears Ears 323

Physical Features of the Colorado Plateau 324

Mineral Resources on the Colorado Plateau 325

History of Canyonlands National Park 326

Bears Ears National Monument Proposal and Public Lands Initiative Proposed National Conservation and Wilderness Areas 327

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 328

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 329

Individuals Profiled 331

Author's Reflections 343

Photographer's Reflections 353

Historical Time Line 361

Public Lands Glossary 387

Resources and Suggested Readings 393

Index 401

Editorial Reviews

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
 

From the Publisher