Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition

What happened

The Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition says that in July 2015 leaders of the Hopi Tribe, Navajo Nation, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Pueblo of Zuni and Ute Indian Tribe founded it. Its site describes the Coalition as "an extension of each Tribe's sovereign authority," with each tribe appointing a delegate under an agreement signed by all five tribal councils. Anthony Sanchez of Zuni Pueblo is listed as co-chair, and Charissa Miijessepe-Wilson as executive director.

The Coalition's own history says its first major act was a tribally written proposal to President Obama. In December 2016 Obama designated Bears Ears National Monument and created the Bears Ears Commission, which made the five tribes partners in management. The Coalition says the monument was reduced by about 87 percent the following year, restored in October 2021, and then managed through a plan developed with the Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service.

The Coalition reports that a presidential proclamation in July 2026 cut the monument by about 91 percent and terminated the Commission. It says no consultation occurred first. That is the Coalition's account, not a reading of the proclamation text.

The Coalition does not own the land. Its work is advocacy, collaborative management planning and programs. Its staff is employed through a project of Resources Legacy Fund, a separate California nonprofit that ProPublica lists under EIN 95-4703838.

Good to know. Acreage figures and the account of the 2026 reduction are the Coalition's own. Donations go to its fiscal sponsor, Resources Legacy Fund, so expect that name at checkout.

Summarized with AI assistance from 5 sources and checked against their words; not yet reviewed by historians or by the nations. Report an error