On My Watch: Bears Ears Cultural Landscape

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.

Speakers:
Kevin Cooeyate, Member, Pueblo of Zuni; Zuni Pueblo Manager, Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps
Brandy Hurt, Inter-Tribal Liason and Traditional Knowledge Advocate, Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition
Joe Neuhof, Executive Director, Friends of Cedar Mesa

Moderator:
Ann Cuss, Regional Director for North America, World Monuments Fund

This event is offered virtually; you will receive an email with a Zoom link to access the program.