fbpx
facebook app symbol  twitter  linkedin  instagram 1
 

The Bureau of Land Management Monticello Field Office and U.S. Department of Agriculture Mani-La Sal National Forest will be hosting a public meeting of the Bears Ears National Monument Advisory Committee on Wednesday, November 8. 

Planned agenda items include an overview of the resource management planning efforts to date, next steps in planning, general management, and administrative updates. The agenda will include time for public comment. 

Bears Ears National Monument, located in southeastern Utah and encompassing more than 1.3 million acres, carries a  rich cultural heritage and is held sacred by many Native American Tribes, who continue to rely on the lands for traditional and ceremonial purposes. The area includes more than 100,000 archaeological sites. 

Bears Ears has been the subject of many legal filings since President Barack Obama declared it a National Monument in 2016.  In 2017, Trump cut the size of the area protected by the National Monument designation by nearly three-quarters. In 2021 on his first day in office,  President Joe Biden restored the protected area. ; the state of Utah sued the administration in 2022, alleging that Biden’s restoration “violates a law that limits U.S. presidents to create monuments “confined to the smallest area compatible with proper care and management of the objects to be protected.” In August 2023, a U.S. District Judge dismissed the lawsuit.

The Bears Ears National Monument Advisory Committee is a citizen-based committee consisting of up to 15 members representing interests in the local community and monument values. Members represent a variety of local interests and expertise, including representatives of tribes that have ancestral ties to the area, including  Navajo Nation, Hopi, Ute Mountain Ute, Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation, and the Pueblo of Zuni.

The meeting will take place on Wednesdy, November 8 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. MT at the Hideout located at 648 South Hideout Way, Monticello, UT 84535. There will also be a virtual meeting attendance option. 



More Stories Like This

A True American Tale: Indigenous Rights vs. Corporate Greed
In photos: Residents of Western Alaska Share Storm Damage of Ex-Typhoon Halong
Where the Buffalo Roam: Tribes Lead Bison Return for Food Sovereignty
Invasive fruit fly hits the Yakama Nation’s huckleberry fields
Former US Attorney General William Barr Challenges Religious Claims Over Oak Flat Mine

Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions

At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.

The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.

Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.

This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.

We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.

Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.

Levi headshotThe stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.

Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.

Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher

 
 
About The Author
Native News Online Staff
Author: Native News Online StaffEmail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Native News Online is one of the most-read publications covering Indian Country and the news that matters to American Indians, Alaska Natives and other Indigenous people. Reach out to us at [email protected].

October 13, 2025 Levi Rickert
Opinion. It’s a good day to be Indigenous.
Currents
October 17, 2025 Native News Online Staff Currents 2374
The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) issued a press release on Friday seeking assistance to locate 71-year-old Wesley Dixon Jones, a CTUIR tribal citizen missing for close to two weeks. The Umatilla Tribal Police Department (UTPD) continues the search Jones and want the assistance to locate Dixon.
Opinion
October 13, 2025 Levi Rickert Opinion 10613
Opinion. It’s a good day to be Indigenous.
October 12, 2025 Professor Victoria Sutton Opinion 2756
Guest Opinion. As Columbus Day approaches, having now been proclaimed by President Donald Trump in an Executive Order for the Monday national holiday. It is a change from the alternatively proclaimed Indigenous Peoples Day since 2021. President Biden was the first President to proclaim Indigenous Peoples' Day, as a national holiday.
Sovereignty
October 17, 2025 Kaili Berg Sovereignty 468
The smell of corn, venison, and wood smoke circled the air as the Ho-Chunk Nation gathered behind the Tribal Office Building for its annual Green Corn Celebration on October 9. The celebration featured a community potluck, cooking and craft demonstrations, social and green corn dances, and cultural presentations focused on reconnecting with ancestral food and land practices.
October 17, 2025 Native News Online Staff Sovereignty 1560
The Oceti Sakowin Treaty Councils issue this urgent call to all Lakota people, communities, and leadership: it is time to launch large-scale emergency operations to rescue and restore the Lakota language. The Councils recognize that our language is the living heart of our Nation, and without decisive action, it stands on the brink of irretrievable loss.
Education
October 17, 2025 Bella Davis, New Mexico In Depth Education 1196
Indigenous education experts and advocates are outraged over the state’s draft action plan for improving education, which they say lacks detail and fails to meaningfully incorporate community input.
October 16, 2025 Native News Online Staff Education 1210
The Morongo Band of Mission Indians has broken ground on a new, state-of-the-art Morongo Elementary School that will strengthen and expand educational opportunities for tribal youth on the Morongo Indian Reservation.
Arts & Entertainment
October 15, 2025 Shaun Griswold Arts & Entertainment 2418
At the premiere of the new short film, Following Enchantment’s Line , Jock Soto, the Diné and Puerto Rican ballet dancer, could be seen gliding underneath vast blue New Mexico skies — the only time the audience saw him dance.
October 14, 2025 Native News Online Staff Arts & Entertainment 1285
During the week of Indigenous Peoples’ Day (Monday, October 13), the Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) will host two special events celebrating Indigenous culture: Anishinaabe Culture Day on Wednesday, October 15, and an Anishinaabe Art and Film Series on Saturday, October 18.
Health
Environment
October 17, 2025 Nicolle Okoren, Truth Dig Environment 285
Deep in the Tonto National Forest in southeast Arizona, there is a land where the Ga’an, or holy spirits, reside. These spirits commune with Usen, the Creator, and act as messengers to the people.
October 15, 2025 Corinne Smith, Alaska Beacon Environment 3935
As morning light hit flooded communities devastated by the remnants of Typhoon Halong on Sunday, local residents snapped photos of the storm damage across western Alaska communities.