BEARS EARS NATIONAL MONUMENT, UTAH (February 7, 2019) – Rising support for Bears Ears advances in the Senate. Senator Udall (D-NM) and Representative Haaland (NM-01), along with over one-hundred Congressional members, reintroduced the America’s Natural Treasures of Immeasurable Quality Unite, Inspire, and Together Improve the Economies of States Act (ANTIQUITIES Act). Hopi Tribe Vice-Chairman, Clark Tenakhongva, expresses the appreciation felt across the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition, stating “We applaud Senator Udall and Congresswoman Haaland for the reintroduction of the ANTIQUITIES Act, which would expand protection of 1.9 million acres of the Bears Ears National Monument, along with fifty other monuments, and ensure that existing presidential proclamations establishing national monuments cannot be illegally diminished by current or future presidents.” These key tenets to the ANTIQUITIES Act ensure the nation’s public lands remain protected once designated, except by an act of Congress.
The Coalition extends its deepest appreciation for Senator Udall and Representative Haaland for their continued leadership in the fight to protect Bears Ears. Pueblo of Zuni Lieutenant Governor and Coalition Co-Chair, Carleton Bowekaty says, “We welcome Congresswoman Haaland’s involvement in this vitally important issue and look forward to working with her on this bill in her capacity as the new Chair of the House Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands.” Hopi Tribe Vice-Chairman Tenakhongva echoes that their continued leadership “encourages us to keep fighting to protect our most cherished landscapes.”
In elevating the voices of the five Coalition Tribes, Congressional advocates and allies in the Senate affirm their commitment to honor the unique relationship the Tribes have to the greater Bears Ears landscape. The Tribes are assured that together, we can honor the past, present and future of this vitally important place and ensure that it is managed wisely for the public to enjoy and cherish for generations to come and the ecosystem to thrive.
