Bears Ears Cultural Landscape and Indigenous-Informed Conservation Strategies

In an act of spatial and social justice, the boundaries of Bears Ears National Monument in Utah were restored on October 8, 2021. This decision reversed a 2017 decision to reduce the protected area by 85%, exposing large swaths of ancestral territory to drilling, mining, environmental degradation, vandalism, and looting. 

Join World Monuments Fund (WMF) on January 20 as we explore the historical and social significance of Bears Ears, home to at-risk places of immense meaning to the Hopi Tribe, Navajo Nation, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Pueblo of Zuni and Ute Indian Tribe, and other Indigenous peoples. With a focus on our work with Friends of Cedar Mesa through the 2020 World Monuments Watch, the discussion will highlight the importance of cross-collaboration between tribal organizations, cultural heritage specialists, and public lands agencies to protect historic sites and implement Indigenous-informed project planning processes and collaborative management strategies. 

Guest speakers will feature Brandy Hurt, Inter-Tribal Liaison and Traditional Knowledge Advocate at the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition; Joe Neuhof, Executive Director at Friends of Cedar Mesa; and Kevin Cooeyate, a member of the Pueblo of Zuni and Zuni Pueblo Manager at the Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps. The event will be moderated by Ann Cuss, WMF Regional Director for North America, and feature photography and film courtesy of the Ancient Art Archive.