In 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt signed the Antiquities Act into law, which gave presidents the power to federally manage historic, prehistoric, and scientific features on public lands. The Antiquities Act became necessary after many Native American sites were looted and destroyed. Over the decades, many unsuccessful attempts were made to formally protect the Bears Ears region.

In 2012, Utah Diné Bikeyah (UDB) was formed as a grassroots effort to lobby for additional oversight to preserve the cultural treasures of the area. Three years later, the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition was formed, uniting leaders from the Hopi Tribe, Navajo Nation, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Pueblo of Zuni, and Ute Indian Tribe for the first time in history. Both groups advocated for the creation of a National Monument to preserve and maintain the land in a way that would honor their people. In 2016, right before President Barack Obama left the White House, he issued a Presidential Proclamation that established the 1.35 million-acre Bears Ears National Monument under the Antiquities Act. 

Let’s review the events surrounding the creation of the Bears Ears National Monument.