The Bears Ears Conservation Partnership is more than a collaboration, it's a community-led movement grounded in Traditional Indigenous Knowledge and built for long-term stewardship. In this reflection, Charissa Miijessepe-Wilson, Co-Director of the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition, shares how partnerships rooted in reciprocity, respect, and collective care are shaping the future of Bears Ears.
For generations, the five Tribes of the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition have worked to protect Bears Ears, a sacred landscape rich with history and cultural significance. Despite past setbacks, the commitment to Tribal-led stewardship and lasting protections remains strong. Read more about this effort in Curtis Yanito’s latest letter to the editor, published in the 3/12/25 edition of the San Juan Record.
New polling confirms that strong bipartisan majorities in Utah and across the Mountain West support protecting Bears Ears and other national monuments. Voters overwhelmingly back Tribal-led stewardship, conservation, and the preservation of public lands over extractive development.
