A youth council to empower the youth of the Coalition Tribes
The Bears Ears region holds profound cultural, spiritual, and historical significance to the five Tribes of the Coalition as they have been stewarding the lands since time immemorial and still strive to pass on those stewardship responsibilities on to the next generation. In 2025, Leaders of the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition ratified and created the Bears Ears Youth Council (BEYC). The Bears Ears Youth Council was established to empower Tribal youth by creating an inter-generational program that strengthens Tribal governance in Bears Ears National Monument, providing opportunities for youth advocacy and building Tribal capacity to engage in collaborative management of Bears Ears National Monument. The BEYC also provides youth hands-on experience in land stewardship, tribal governance, and application of cultural practices that can be applied in future career and educational endeavors. This program represents an inter-generational approach to land management that honors Tribal sovereignty and incorporates Traditional Indigenous Knowledge (TIK) to protect the Monument’s cultural belongings and its cultural landscape as a whole.
How the Bears Ears Youth Council will enact Tribal Sovereignty
The Bears Ears Youth Council aims to assist the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition in goals to honor, protect, and conserve the Bears Ears landscape through the lens of Traditional Indigenous Knowledge and Tribal governance. The BEYC will accomplish the following:
- Assist in Collaborative Management: The Youth Council will assist the Inter Tribal Coalition in learning about and cultivating Traditional Environmental Knowledge that applies to the cultural well-being of the Bears Ears cultural landscape.
- Advocate for Indigenous Rights: The Youth Council will receive opportunities to advocate for Tribal sovereignty by working with Tribal Leaders in the development of written proposals to the Inter-Tribal Coalition and advocating for the protection of sacred places in their respective communities.
- Build Capacity for Tribal Nations: The Youth Council will be mentored by Tribal leadership and Coalition staff on Tribal perspectives on collaborative management and reciprocal relationships between Indigenous Nations and land.
- Strengthen Relationships between Land and People: The Youth Council will have opportunities to reconnect with their ancestral lands through a site visit where they learn about their cultural ties to Bears Ears while gathering skills to advocate on the protection of sacred sites.
Program Timeline:
Application Deadline: September 3, 2026
Notification of Selection: September 17, 2026
Bears Ears Youth Council Virtual Meetings:
- September (TBD): Virtual Meeting 1: Introduction to the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition
- September (TBD): Virtual Meeting 2: Collaborative Management
- October (TBD): Virtual Meeting 3: Site Visit Expectations
- October – November (TBD): Site Visit to the Bears Ears Area
- Lodging, meals and travel expenses to be provided for site visit to and from the monument
Additional mentorship opportunities provided at the discretion of the Tribes
Program Details
Age range: 18-24
Must be from one of the five Tribes of the Coalition
Applications must be submitted by the application deadline of September 3 through the form below or can be submitted via email to hgorman@bearsearscoalition.org.
This form is an application for the Bears Ears Youth Council. Applications are due September 3, 2026. If you have trouble submitting this form through the website, please contact Harrenson Gorman at (505) 728-1300.