Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition Project

Our mission is to protect Bears Ears through the leadership of united, sovereign Tribes, and inspire all to strengthen connection and uphold reciprocal relationships with the land.

We envision vast, protected living cultural landscapes that reclaim their inherent sovereign rights, where youth, elders, and all community members heal together and create a thriving future for all human and non-human beings.

The Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition (BEITC) was founded by the Hopi Tribe, Navajo Nation, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Zuni Tribe, and Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation, sovereign Nations united to protect the Bears Ears cultural landscape, known in our Native languages as Hoon'Naqvut, Shash Jáa, Kwiyagatu Nukavachi, and Ansh An Lashokdiwe.

Each Nation appoints a delegate to the Coalition through a formal Memorandum of Understanding to represent its interests in the Coalition's work. BEITC supports the Bears Ears Commission in leading the first-ever Tribal-federal collaborative management of a national monument.

We also invest in future leaders. The Bears Ears Youth Council fosters intergenerational learning and governance rooted in culture and sovereignty. Our Bears Ears Conservation Corps brings intergenerational Tribal members together for immersive land-based learning and stewardship.

The Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition Project is a fiscally sponsored project of Resources Legacy Fund, a 501(c)(3) organization.

Testimonials

"Bears Ears National Monument embodies our ancestral ties and sacred landscapes. Our Navoti (knowledge) of Hopi presence, expressed through ceremony, prayer, and pilgrimage, reflects our deep connection to Hoon Naq'vu (Bears Ears). This management plan is a testament to the trust and cooperation that form the foundation of collaborative management, affirming Tribal knowledge and the shared responsibility of stewarding these lands together for future generations to come." 

- Craig Andrews, former Vice Chairman of The Hopi Tribe and Co-Chair of the Bears Ears Commission

"My name is Jerilynn Arnold, and I’m a Ute Mountain Ute representative on the Bears Ears Youth Council for the years 2025 to 2026. One thing I’ve learned on my journey with the Bears Ears Youth Council is that maintaining public lands takes a whole lot of work. The reason why it’s so important for people like me to get involved with Bears Ears is because Ute lands include Bears Ears, and they have for thousands of years, as my people have traveled there.

Hopefully through my work, and the continuation of my work, and my people, and their involvement with Bears Ears, we can continue to teach the younger generations about land protection and traditional preservation. Tog'oiak" 

- Jerilynn Arnold, Bears Ears Youth Council