FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

UTE INDIAN TRIBE FILING LAWSUIT CHALLENGING PRESIDENT’S PLAN TO ABOLISH BEARS EARS NATIONAL MONUMENT

Ft. Duchesne, UT December 4, 2017

The Ute Indian Tribe is deeply offended by President Trump’s announcement today that he plans to significantly shrink the Bears Ears National Monument. His action will effectively revoke the Monument and threaten the Tribe’s cultural and historical resources that were protected by the designation of the Monument. Along with the 4 other tribes who came together to advocate for establishment of the Monument, the Ute Indian Tribe will be filing a lawsuit against President Trump, Secretary Zinke, and others in the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia to hold them accountable for their actions in this matter that serve as an affront to the sovereignty of the Ute Indian Tribe and all Tribes in the United States.

The President’s actions are even more appalling in that they were taken without even visiting the Monument or consulting with the tribes whose sacred and cultural sites the Monument was created to protect. Instead the President is relying on Secretary Zinke’s brief review that seeks to diminish the position of Tribe’s in favor of special interest groups. The proposal to shrink the Monument will leave hundreds of thousands of antiquities, archeological sites and cultural resources unprotected and eviscerate the years of collaborative work that was undertaken by the members of the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition to establish a monument that recognizes the unique cultural and spiritual contributions that Native peoples have made to the history of this great Nation.

"Draining the Swamp"?

The President’s action will upend almost a decade of collaborative work by local tribal members and the five tribes. “The President promised to drain the swamp,” said Luke Duncan Chairman of the Ute Indian Tribal Business Committee, “but with this unilateral action at the request of a few powerful Utah politicians the swamp is only getting deeper.” Chairman Duncan continued, “We refuse to become the forgotten people of this land and the President should recognize and respect our voice in this matter as the first Utahns.”

The President’s action to appease Utah politicians comes at a crucial time for Congressional approval of the President’s tax cuts and appears to be nothing more than a duplicitous effort to ensure that Senator Orrin Hatch’s objective of eliminating the Monument is fulfilled so that the President can secure support from Senator Hatch for the President’s tax reform initiative. The success of the President’s tax reform initiative hinges upon Senator Hatch’s support given his position as the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. Despite promises to work on behalf of Tribal Nations, the President is acting on behalf of wealthy special interest groups to advance their interest regardless of the impact on tribal history and culture.