The Bears Ears National Monument in southeastern Utah was the first in our system of protected federal lands to have achieved monument status at the behest of First Nations tribes.
Five nations — the Navajo, Hopi, Ute, Zuni and Ute Mountain Ute — had gone though a meticulous process of documenting why the Bears Ears land is important to them. President Obama responded with respect for the indigenous nations and designated Bears Ears as a national monument.
President Trump and Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke have revoked that respect and drastically reduced the size of the monument. Zinke was lobbied by the uranium mining industry prior to deciding to reduce the monument.
The decision by Trump and Zinke goes along with the tragic history of promises made to First Nations which were reneged upon once profitable extraction of resources entered the picture.
I have many reasons to oppose Trump supporters (Republicans) in the upcoming mid-term elections. Their disrespect of First Nations is one of my top reasons.
Stephen Amy
Eugene
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