Spanning 1.35 million acres of winding canyons, juniper forests, and stunning rock formations across the U.S. state of Utah, Bears Ears National Monument has long been a place of religious and cultural significance for Indigenous peoples in the American Southwest. The breathtaking landscape is dotted with dwellings, rock art, and other evidence of the site’s thousands of years of human habitation, creating a powerful sense of connection between the people of today and their ancestors who once inhabited this site.
As people across the United States head to national parks and monuments for the summer, learn more about Bears Ears’s history—and how World Monuments Fund (WMF) is partnering with Tribes and government bodies to foster sustainable, culturally informed visitation at the site.