In a move that reverberated across Indigenous communities and conservation circles, President Donald Trump signed executive proclamations on Monday, dramatically reducing the size of two revered national monuments in southern Utah: Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante. The sweeping executive action carved away 91% of Bears Ears National Monument and 90% of Grand Staircase-Escalante, totaling an estimated three million acres of federal lands. This unilateral decision effectively abolished the Bears Ears Commission, a groundbreaking body established in 2016 to ensure five sovereign tribal nations had a direct, collaborative role in the stewardship of their ancestral territories, marking a significant setback for Indigenous self-determination and co-management principles on public lands.

The immediate reaction from tribal leaders was one of profound outrage and deep sorrow. Davina Smith-Idjesa, co-chair for the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition and a representative of the Navajo Nation, articulated the collective pain in a press call the following Tuesday morning. "I am angry. I am hurt, and I am tired of standing here having to explain again why Bears Ears matters to me," Smith-Idjesa stated, her voice echoing the sentiments of millions. The Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition, a non-profit alliance formed by the Hopi Tribe, Navajo Nation, Ute Indian Tribe, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, and Zuni Tribe, had been a tireless advocate for the monument, championing its cultural and ecological significance. Smith-Idjesa further emphasized the gravity of the decision, noting, "To reduce Bears Ears again is devastating, but to abolish the Bears Ears Commission is to attempt to erase years of tribal leadership, relationships and work between sovereign tribal nations and our federal partners." This act not only diminished the land but also disregarded the invaluable contributions and traditional ecological knowledge of the original stewards.

This latest reduction in protected lands represents an even more extensive rollback than those enacted during Trump’s first administration, which were subsequently reversed under President Joe Biden. The current proclamation, widely anticipated since Trump’s return to office last year, culminates a protracted campaign by the state of Utah to curtail the monuments and diminish Indigenous oversight of these culturally rich landscapes. The previous administration’s Department of the Interior had assured the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition that it would consult with the commission before considering any boundary changes. However, according to the coalition, this crucial consultation never materialized, underscoring a fundamental breakdown in trust and respect for tribal sovereignty.

Monte Mills, director of the Native American Law Center at the University of Washington, critically analyzed the language of the new order, highlighting its deliberate effort to devalue the monument’s significance. The proclamation dismissed invaluable cultural artifacts and sacred sites as "not of particular historic or scientific interest" and characterized the landscape itself as merely "generic features" that were "not worthy of protection." Mills argued that this was more than just an attempt to undo a monument; it was "trying to rewrite and trying to erase the real history and meaning and value of this place." He further contextualized the proclamation within "a broader project of white nationalism on the part of this administration," drawing parallels to other controversial actions such as the removal of signs from national parks that acknowledge Indigenous histories or the realities of slavery, suggesting a systematic effort to control historical narratives and diminish the contributions of marginalized communities.

The controversy surrounding Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, established by President Bill Clinton in 1996, mirrors the tensions at Bears Ears. The Inter-Tribal Coalition formed last year specifically to defend this monument and advocate for the inclusion of tribal perspectives in its management. Both monuments had finalized their resource management plans in 2025, following years of extensive public and tribal consultation aimed at integrating Indigenous knowledge into conservation strategies. Bears Ears, in particular, had emerged as a pioneering model for Indigenous leadership in land stewardship, demonstrating how collaborative management could honor both modern conservation science and ancient cultural practices. This made its dramatic reduction and the abolition of its commission all the more poignant, revealing the profound vulnerability of tribal co-management initiatives to the shifting sands of political power and influence.

The cuts serve as a stark reminder of how fragile collaborative land management agreements, especially those involving Indigenous nations, can be in the face of political volatility. Bears Ears had become a lightning rod in the ongoing debate over federal land use, but this administration’s actions extend beyond specific monuments, impacting all levels of public land management. Mills warned that the events unfolding represented "the fundamental destruction of public-lands management as we know it," citing widespread changes to grazing rules, oil and gas regulations, and even the weakening of the Endangered Species Act. He concluded that "In the same way this administration has reshaped the federal government, we’re seeing it play out across the public landscape." This pattern suggests a deliberate strategy to deregulate and open up vast tracts of public land for industrial exploitation, often at the expense of environmental protection and cultural preservation.

Utah state officials have long harbored a contentious relationship with the extensive federal lands within their borders, often framing the issue as an infringement on states’ rights. In blistering public comments submitted in 2024 on a draft of the Bears Ears resource management plan, the state accused federal agencies under the Biden administration of an "elimination of the State’s rights from this land," claiming "wholesale deference" to the Bears Ears Commission and an attempt to "create a new ‘Indian Country’" through the national monument. Utah further demanded that the agencies be "more inclusive of living, non-Indigenous people," arguing that the draft plan "gives less respect, dignity and protections to their heritage when compared to the heritage of the area’s Indigenous people." Such rhetoric not only misrepresents the nature of tribal sovereignty but also seeks to undermine the unique historical and legal claims of Indigenous peoples to their ancestral lands. Utah, which had previously sued over Biden’s restoration of the monuments in 2022, also falsely complained that the plan promoted "a state of non-use." President Trump echoed these inaccuracies at Monday’s proclamation signing, claiming, "You can’t go hunting. You can’t go fishing. You can’t do anything. You can virtually not even walk on it" – despite these activities being explicitly allowed within the monument boundaries.

The decision to shrink the national monuments has been met with broad condemnation from a diverse coalition including tribal leaders, members of Congress, environmental conservationists, outdoor recreationalists, and local communities. On Tuesday, the Native American Rights Fund (NARF), which has provided legal representation for three of the tribes on the Bears Ears Commission, unequivocally declared that the president lacks the legal authority to unilaterally reduce the size of national monuments. "We will pursue every available legal course of action to stop these illegal attacks on Native homelands, culture, and people," affirmed NARF Deputy Director Matthew Campbell in a resolute statement, signaling the beginning of what promises to be a protracted legal battle.

Hillary Hoffmann, a professor of law at the University of Wyoming and former co-director of the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition, highlighted the instability created by the decade-long back-and-forth over the monuments’ boundaries. She asserted that this constant policy oscillation "should be a signal to the judiciary that resolution is needed on these legal questions." The legal precedent for presidential authority to create national monuments under the 1906 Antiquities Act is well-established, but the power to reduce or revoke them remains a hotly contested legal grey area, potentially setting the stage for a landmark Supreme Court case that could redefine presidential powers over public lands.

While the legal and political challenges loom large, Hoffmann offered a glimmer of hope, suggesting that Congress holds the ultimate power to permanently protect Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante and to enshrine tribal co-management into law, thereby insulating these vital landscapes from future executive whims. "I don’t think that this strikes any kind of death knell for collaborative management or co-stewardship," Hoffmann optimistically concluded, emphasizing the enduring spirit of collaboration. Indeed, the foundational work of the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition predates the monument’s establishment, forged by the five tribes uniting to advocate for the land that ultimately became a national monument. That vital work, they affirmed this week, will unequivocally continue.

As Smith-Idjesa powerfully articulated, "Our connection to Bears Ears did not begin with a presidential proclamation, and it will not end with one. You can abolish a commission, you can redraw a boundary, but you cannot erase our prayers from this land. You cannot erase the footprints of our ancestors from this land. You cannot erase us. We are still here." This enduring commitment underscores the deep spiritual and cultural ties that transcend political decrees, serving as a testament to the resilience of Indigenous communities and their unwavering dedication to protecting their ancestral heritage. The struggle for Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante is more than a dispute over land; it is a profound testament to tribal sovereignty, environmental justice, and the ongoing fight for the recognition and respect of Indigenous rights on a global scale.