In this Book
- Voices from Bears Ears: Seeking Common Ground on Sacred Land
- Book
- 2018
- Published by: University of Arizona Press
summary
In late 2016, President Barack Obama designated 1.35 million acres of public lands in southeastern Utah as Bears Ears National Monument. On December 4, 2017, President Donald Trump shrank the monument by 85 percent. A land rich in human history and unsurpassed in natural beauty, Bears Ears is at the heart of a national debate over the future of public lands.
Through the stories of twenty individuals, and informed by interviews with more than seventy people, Voices from Bears Ears captures the passions of those who fought to protect Bears Ears and those who opposed the monument as a federal “land grab” that threatened to rob them of their economic future. It gives voice to those who have felt silenced, ignored, or disrespected. It shares stories of those who celebrate a growing movement by Indigenous peoples to protect ancestral lands and culture, and those who speak devotedly about their Mormon heritage. What unites these individuals is a reverence for a homeland that defines their cultural and spiritual identity, and therein lies hope for finding common ground.
Journalist Rebecca Robinson provides context and perspective for understanding the ongoing debate and humanizes the abstract issues at the center of the debate. Interwoven with these stories are photographs of the interviewees and the land they consider sacred by photographer Stephen E. Strom. Through word and image, Robinson and Strom allow us to both hear and see the people whose lives are intertwined with this special place.
Through the stories of twenty individuals, and informed by interviews with more than seventy people, Voices from Bears Ears captures the passions of those who fought to protect Bears Ears and those who opposed the monument as a federal “land grab” that threatened to rob them of their economic future. It gives voice to those who have felt silenced, ignored, or disrespected. It shares stories of those who celebrate a growing movement by Indigenous peoples to protect ancestral lands and culture, and those who speak devotedly about their Mormon heritage. What unites these individuals is a reverence for a homeland that defines their cultural and spiritual identity, and therein lies hope for finding common ground.
Journalist Rebecca Robinson provides context and perspective for understanding the ongoing debate and humanizes the abstract issues at the center of the debate. Interwoven with these stories are photographs of the interviewees and the land they consider sacred by photographer Stephen E. Strom. Through word and image, Robinson and Strom allow us to both hear and see the people whose lives are intertwined with this special place.
Table of Contents
Download Full Book
- Foreword by Patricia Nelson Limerick
- pp. xi-xvi
- A Note on the Structure of This Book
- pp. xix-xxii
- Introduction
- pp. 3-18
- Connecting to Sacred Lands: Voices of Two Cultures
- Shaping the Future of Public Lands: Different Visions for San Juan County
- Protecting Ancestral Lands: Exercising Tribal Sovereignty
- Interlude: Tribal Sovereignty Explained
- pp. 177-180
- A Path Forward: Establishing Trust, Healing Wounds
- Coda: December 2016–February 2018
- pp. 273-312
- Acknowledgments
- pp. 313-318
- Individuals Profiled
- pp. 331-342
- Author’s Reflections
- pp. 343-352
- Photographer’s Reflections
- pp. 353-360
- Historical Time Line
- pp. 361-386
- Public Lands Glossary
- pp. 387-392
- Resources and Suggested Readings
- pp. 393-400
- About the Author
- pp. 413-414
- About the Photographer
- pp. 415-420
Additional Information
ISBN
9780816539161
Related ISBN(s)
9780816538058
MARC Record
OCLC
1057694740
Pages
435
Launched on MUSE
2018-10-25
Language
English
Open Access
No