“The Most Deeply and Truly ‘Native’ of All Federal Public Land Units”: Bears Ears National Monument, the Antiquities Act, and Collaborative Management of Public Lands

This article analyzes the way conservation laws and public land policies may be used as avenues to redress past injustices done to Tribal Nations in the United States. Specifically, it studies Bears Ears National Monument, in Utah, considered by some as the “first Native national monument.” In 2015,...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Nathalie Massip
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Association Française d'Etudes Américaines 2025-07-01
Series:Transatlantica
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/transatlantica/25390
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849337540644962304
author Nathalie Massip
author_facet Nathalie Massip
author_sort Nathalie Massip
collection DOAJ
description This article analyzes the way conservation laws and public land policies may be used as avenues to redress past injustices done to Tribal Nations in the United States. Specifically, it studies Bears Ears National Monument, in Utah, considered by some as the “first Native national monument.” In 2015, five unrelated Tribes petitioned the Obama administration to obtain federal protection for lands that are sacred to them. Their successful use of the Antiquities Act, which grants US presidents power to proclaim national monuments, is a major achievement, considering the origins of the conservation law in the Assimilation Era. In addition to gaining federal protection, the tribal coalition went further and requested an active role in the management of the monument. While the federal-tribal partnership may not be equal, the five Tribes of the Bears Ears National Monument have each gained a seat at the decision-making table. They have proved, in the process, that the management of public lands can help them reassert their sovereignty, reclaim their past, and regain control of their future while caring for the land.
format Article
id doaj-art-6815bdd8916d43e3a01d75ac70dcbe4f
institution Kabale University
issn 1765-2766
language English
publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher Association Française d'Etudes Américaines
record_format Article
series Transatlantica
spelling doaj-art-6815bdd8916d43e3a01d75ac70dcbe4f2025-08-20T03:44:39ZengAssociation Française d'Etudes AméricainesTransatlantica1765-27662025-07-01110.4000/14b8z“The Most Deeply and Truly ‘Native’ of All Federal Public Land Units”: Bears Ears National Monument, the Antiquities Act, and Collaborative Management of Public LandsNathalie MassipThis article analyzes the way conservation laws and public land policies may be used as avenues to redress past injustices done to Tribal Nations in the United States. Specifically, it studies Bears Ears National Monument, in Utah, considered by some as the “first Native national monument.” In 2015, five unrelated Tribes petitioned the Obama administration to obtain federal protection for lands that are sacred to them. Their successful use of the Antiquities Act, which grants US presidents power to proclaim national monuments, is a major achievement, considering the origins of the conservation law in the Assimilation Era. In addition to gaining federal protection, the tribal coalition went further and requested an active role in the management of the monument. While the federal-tribal partnership may not be equal, the five Tribes of the Bears Ears National Monument have each gained a seat at the decision-making table. They have proved, in the process, that the management of public lands can help them reassert their sovereignty, reclaim their past, and regain control of their future while caring for the land.https://journals.openedition.org/transatlantica/25390Native AmericansBears Ears National MonumentAntiquities Actfederal landspublic land policycollaborative management
spellingShingle Nathalie Massip
“The Most Deeply and Truly ‘Native’ of All Federal Public Land Units”: Bears Ears National Monument, the Antiquities Act, and Collaborative Management of Public Lands
Transatlantica
Native Americans
Bears Ears National Monument
Antiquities Act
federal lands
public land policy
collaborative management
title “The Most Deeply and Truly ‘Native’ of All Federal Public Land Units”: Bears Ears National Monument, the Antiquities Act, and Collaborative Management of Public Lands
title_full “The Most Deeply and Truly ‘Native’ of All Federal Public Land Units”: Bears Ears National Monument, the Antiquities Act, and Collaborative Management of Public Lands
title_fullStr “The Most Deeply and Truly ‘Native’ of All Federal Public Land Units”: Bears Ears National Monument, the Antiquities Act, and Collaborative Management of Public Lands
title_full_unstemmed “The Most Deeply and Truly ‘Native’ of All Federal Public Land Units”: Bears Ears National Monument, the Antiquities Act, and Collaborative Management of Public Lands
title_short “The Most Deeply and Truly ‘Native’ of All Federal Public Land Units”: Bears Ears National Monument, the Antiquities Act, and Collaborative Management of Public Lands
title_sort the most deeply and truly native of all federal public land units bears ears national monument the antiquities act and collaborative management of public lands
topic Native Americans
Bears Ears National Monument
Antiquities Act
federal lands
public land policy
collaborative management
url https://journals.openedition.org/transatlantica/25390
work_keys_str_mv AT nathaliemassip themostdeeplyandtrulynativeofallfederalpubliclandunitsbearsearsnationalmonumenttheantiquitiesactandcollaborativemanagementofpubliclands