Tribal Nations Vow to Protect Bears Ears Following Federal Rollbacks

The decision effectively dismantles a landmark model of collaborative land management that united five Tribal Nations with federal agencies. By dissolving the commission, the administration has abandoned the Bears Ears Resource Management Plan, a framework that integrated traditional Indigenous knowledge with western science to oversee the region. Tribal leaders argue the move ignores the interconnections of the landscape, treating a living cultural heritage site as a collection of separate parcels.

Representatives from the Hopi, Navajo, Ute, and Zuni nations condemned the lack of consultation, noting that the Department of the Interior had explicitly promised in June 2025 to meet with the commission before any boundary adjustments. Despite the federal shift, the coalition maintains that its responsibility to the land persists. Leaders emphasized that their presence in the region predates modern borders and that they remain committed to stewardship, regardless of the current political status of the monument. The proclamation explicitly paves the way for industrial activity on lands stripped of their protected status, marking a sharp reversal of previous conservation efforts.