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Letter: With Bears Ears, pursuit of money wins and the Indians lose — again

(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke snaps at pro monument activist Cassandra Begay after she directed pointed questions regarding his failure to meet with more Native Americans during his tour of Bears Ears National Monument in southeastern Utah. Interior Secretary Zinke had just arrived at the Butler Wash Indian Ruins trail head within Bears Ears National Monument for a tour.

The government again has broken faith with the Native American people. The creation of the Bears Ears National Monument was a promise by the government to protect Native American sacred sites and archaeology treasures. The government broke this promise when it split the national monument into two small areas.

Donald Trump, Ryan Zinke, Orrin Hatch, Gary Herbert and many other government officials can add their names to the list of government officials in American history who have broken their treaties and promises to the native people. Any time the Indians have been in the way of the white man making money, the Indians have lost.

Seymour Winter, Bountiful