Bears Ears National Monument Podcast

Bears Ears National Monument in southern Utah is named after two tall buttes that resemble a bear's head. It is home to diverse wildlife and hundreds of bird species. The monument honors five Native American tribes and protects numerous archaeological sites. President Trump reduced the monument's boundaries, causing controversy, but President Biden restored them. In 2022, the tribes signed an agreement to share management responsibilities. Attempts to undermine the monument's boundaries continue, but the tribes are committed to protecting their historical connections. Visitors can explore the ruins and enjoy the natural beauty of the monument. It is recommended to visit between April and May. The monument is free to enter, but a pass is required for hiking and backpacking. Donations can be made to the Native American Rights Fund to support the protection of Bears Ears. Hello everyone and welcome to the Bears Ears National Monument podcast. My name is Kennedy Wordsworth and I today will be talking about Bears Ears National Monument located in southern Utah. Now if you're wondering why it's called Bears Ears, I have an answer for you. It is named for two tall buttes that resemble the top of a bear's head. It has the closest surrounding cities being Bluff, Blanding, and Monticello, with Moab being 75 minutes away. Topography supports broad biodiversity including populations of bighorn sheep, bears, pumas, and rare shrews. Hundreds of species of birds can also be found such as owls, falcons, and bats. In riparian areas you can find salamanders, frogs, and spotted toads. This monument made history when it was created in 2016 as it honors five different Native American tribes. These include Navajo, Hopi, Zuni, Ute, Mountain Ute, and the Uinta-Ore-Ute tribe. From them you can find cliff dwellings, rock art, and ceremonial sites. There are also known to be over a hundred thousand archaeological sites protected at Bears Ears. These tribes wanted this land set aside for preservation, cultural, recreational, and scientific use. Now this national monument has been in the media. It was designated a national monument in 2016 by President Obama and it had 1.3 million acres of land. Only one year later, President Trump reduced the Bears Ears boundaries by 90%. This caused controversy and confusion. It left the rest of the unprotected land vulnerable to harmful developments. These include uranium mining, oil and gas drilling, the use of mechanized vehicles, and road construction. Within one week of the proclamation, three lawsuits had already been filed. While these lawsuits were going forth, in 2021 President Biden restored the boundaries and added over 11,000 acres to the monument. Many believe that the opportunity to visit and feel the ancient history there should not rely on courts and land managers to decide. In June 2022, the five tribes signed a historic agreement to share management responsibilities for the Bears Ears National Monument. This means that the tribes would work with the federal government to address land planning, conservation, management, and to protect traditions. These traditions are those that, and I quote, are a part of the tribal nation's way of life on the land. In December 2022, recreationalists and a mining company sought to overturn Biden's decision because they wanted to use it for their advantage. Luckily, in 2024, the case was dismissed and the Bears Ears protections stood in place. Now, as of January 2024, Bears Ears National Monument still has ongoing attempts to undermine its boundaries. The tribes, although, have the law on their side, and they are not giving up. The tribal nations have many religious and historical connections to the region. It's a historical homeland for them. Bears Ears Monument inspires non-native visitors to learn to respect the tribe's heritage and all of their history. The ruins are over 700 years old and are all still under preservation. If you do plan to visit Bears Ears National Monument, it is recommended to go between April and May. This is because there are cooler hiking temperatures and wildflowers between these months. The best part about visiting is that it's free to enter. Although, if you want to hike and backpack, you must purchase a pass from recreation.gov. If you want to take part in continuing to protect Bears Ears, you can donate to NARF, N-A-R-F, Native American Rights Fund at secure.narf.org. What's at stake for Bears Ears National Monument, even to this day, is 13,000 years of human history and prehistoric facts. These five Indian tribes fought for this land to be saved and explored, and it's a privilege that we still have this great opportunity to visit. Now that you've learned many fun, inspiring, and controversial facts about Bears Ears National Monument, we are now going to play Bears Ears National Monument Trivia. I'll ask five questions, and you answer with either option A or option B. You have 10 seconds after each question, and then I'll provide the answer. Question one. Does Bears Ears have a large population of A, bighorn sheep, or B, capuchin monkeys? I'll repeat the question. Does Bears Ears have a large population of A, bighorn sheep, or B, capuchin monkeys? If you said option A, bighorn sheep, you are correct. Question two. The boundaries of Bears Ears were reduced in 2017 by A, 90%, or B, 50%. A, 90% is the correct answer. Question three. How many tribes are there that consider this their sacred land and have fought to keep it protected? A, five, or B, three. The answer is A, five tribes, including Navajo, Hopi, Zuni, Ute Mountain Ute, and the Untaure Ute tribe. Question four. Why is the monument called Bears Ears? A, two ear shaped rivers, or B, two tall buttes? The answer is B, two tall buttes. Now on to question five, the last question. The best time to go to Bears Ears is A, June through July, or B, April through May? The answer is B, April through May. This is when you'll find cooler hiking temperatures and wildflowers. Thank you all so much for listening to this Bears Ears National Monument podcast, and I hope you get the opportunity to visit Bears Ears National Monument. Let's keep it protected. Signing out, Kennedy Wordsworth.