Bears Ears and Monument Reviews

Interior Department Lists Monuments under Review: Opportunity for Public Comments Opens May 13
The Department of the Interior today announced the first ever formal public comment period for members of the public to officially weigh in on monument designations under the Antiquities Act of 1906, and the Department released a list of monuments under review under the President’s Executive Order 13792, issued April 26, 2017. A public comment period is not required for monument designations under the Antiquities Act; however, Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke and President Trump both strongly believe that local input is a critical component of federal land management. Comments may be submitted online after May 12 at http://www.regulations.gov by entering “DOI-2017-0002” in the Search bar and clicking “Search,” or by mail to Monument Review, MS-1530, U.S. Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street NW, Washington, DC 20240. https://on.doi.gov/2qdXOL1 – U.S. Department of the Interior

Editorial: Is Bears Ears the Next Standing Rock?
After seven years of organizing, the Bears Ears Intertribal Coalition — made up of the Hopi, Navajo, Uintah and Ouray Ute, Ute Mountain Ute and Zuni Nations — played a key role in securing the protection of 1.35 million acres surrounding Bears Ears from development and resource extraction just before President Obama left office. But in our climate of political myopia, President Trump recently ordered the Interior Department to review the size and scope of national monuments larger than 100,000 acres created since 1996. http://nyti.ms/2qe4yZ4 – New York Times

Editorial: Local Support for Bears Ears Is Stronger than Many Politicians Would Have You Believe
This week’s news carried the story that President Trump intends to call for a review of all recent national monument designations. There will surely be special attention paid to Bears Ears National Monument. As a fifth-generation Utah resident and a Latter-day Saint, I find this troubling. Bears Ears National Monument is unique in the nation. It is the only national monument that has come about because of a request by indigenous nations, five of the them in fact. Its natural beauty, historical and cultural significance sets it apart. It both needs and deserves our support. http://bit.ly/2qe59tM – Salt Lake Tribune

Clovis Museum to Reopen near Blackwater Draw
A museum highlighting a piece of archaeology history near Clovis is about to reopen. Stone and bone weapons, tools and other evidence of early settlers were found in what’s known as the Blackwater Draw. A museum highlighting the site, which has been open since 1960, closed in September 2016. It was located on Highway 70. http://bit.ly/2qdXewI – KRQE

Lecture Opportunity – Santa Fe
Southwest Seminars Presents Dr. Thomas Dalton Dillehay, Archaeologist, Rebecca Webb Wilson University Distinguished Professor of Anthropology, Religion, & Culture; and Professor of Anthropology and Latin American Studies, Vanderbilt University; Author, “Monuments, Empires, and Resistance: The Araucanian Polity and Ritual Narratives”; “The Settlement of the Americas: and A New Prehistory”; and “Monte Verde: A Late Pleistocene Settlement in Chile” who will give a lecture “Where the Land Meets the Sea: 14,000 of Human History on North Coast of Peru” at 6pm on May 15 at Hotel Santa Fe as part of the annual Ancient Sites Ancient Stories II Lecture Series held to honor and acknowledge The Archaeological Conservancy. Admission is by subscription or $15 at the door. No reservations are necessary. Refreshments are served. Seating is limited. Contact Connie Eichstaedt at tel: 505 466-2775; email: southwest seminar@aol.com; website: http://southwestseminars.org