This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Recently, Colorado College conducted a poll and found that 66 percent of Utahns support the establishment of a Bears Ears National Monument through presidential proclamation.
This is not surprising, as many Utah citizens (like me and my family) have hiked and camped in various locales inside the proposed boundaries. Such magical places include White Canyon and its sinuous tributaries of Gravel and Cheesebox canyons, both upper and lower Dark Canyon (located on both National Forest and BLM lands), and the world-famous canyons of Cedar Mesa (e.g. Grand Gulch, Fish and Owl Creek canyons), all of which contain thousands of Native American cultural and archaeological resources.
However, recreationists are not the only people favoring a monument proclamation. It's the various Native American tribes of the region who want guaranteed protection of the ancient dwellings, granaries, rock art, grave sites and many other sacred sites that lie beneath the rims of these incredible canyons. These special areas remain vital to tribal communities as places of ceremony, subsistence, and healing.
Granted, non-native visitors need to carefully respect the region as well by practicing low-impact techniques. Proclaiming Bears Ears a national monument certainly would help heal Native Americans, the land, and the collective human spirit.
James W. Thompson
Salt Lake City