Response to High County News Article

Commentary on this article.  by Johnathan Thompson. published Oct. 16/ 2016 High Country News.

This was a well written and engaging article and the author tried hard to show us a close up view of the controversy, and the varied views of local people as we wrestle with the threat of a possible monument in this place of isolation. I am always surprised at the straws writers grasp at in their comments following such articles, as they justify their position. Fear and bias has a way of generating paranoia and exaggeration. I am also surprised at the name calling and bias that surfaces, as outsiders write about ranchers, rural America, hunters, Mormons, and others not of their inner circle. 

With that being said, let me update Johnathan's article, with some facts in this ever dynamic and changing controversy. He quotes Malcolm Lehi, a White Mesa Ute council representative who says, “It’s been far too long that us Natives have not been at the table, he added, " We’re making history.” Since that statement was made, Mr. Lehi has become history himself, as he was voted out of office recently by his own people, as was Regina White Skunk. Part of that happened because neither of them had support of those they represented in this "monumental" issue. Many Navajo and Utes are against the National Monument, because they have land allotments in the designated area and they enjoy the freedoms that they already have on this public land, such as wood gathering, hunting, grazing. They did not like being bullied into a cause they did not support.

I was so happy to see one of our old YSA friends Monte Yazzie, helping his Aunt Anna Tom in this protest. 

Despite the promises made by the Bikéyah coalition leaders, local Native Americans by and large, do not trust a federal government which has a long trail of broken promises. Using a multi-tribe coalition as banner carriers for a National Monument, was a top down strategy initiated by the Conservation Lands Foundation and their satellite environmental groups. They and their deep-pocketed foundations have played Goliath in this battle against the little guys of San Juan County. They didn't take into account the fact that conflicts exists between some of the coalition tribes, as illustrated in the article. Nor did CLF realize that freedom loving Americans, Native and Anglo alike have been taught to think, and to love their freedoms and their land. As Winston Hurst suggests, there will need to be compromise and a willingness to share the land in multiple ways if this is going to work.