Reflections, Results, and Recommendations Regarding Bears Ears

By Nicole Perkins
A Steward of San Juan

It is almost 4 AM as I sit here and try to express the core of my thoughts and heart. So... here goes. Bear with me (no pun intended).

More than 6 months ago we embarked on a courageous endeavor to stand up and speak out and say NO! Doodah! Kach! I have literally cried myself to sleep at night with my heart breaking as I have thought of the many good and decent people, the honorable men and women in this community, whose names and reputations have been disparaged and trampled on; of the very real threat to a simple and good way of life that so many here in our beautiful county have lived; at the utter lies, hatred and greed displayed by those who have abused their power and position to deceive and destroy.

No matter how much money, celebrity, power, and media influence the opposition has on their side they will not obtain that which is of greatest value. You cannot buy honor or respect. No matter how much you lust after what rightfully belongs to another, it will NEVER truly be yours. No matter how often you repeat a lie it will never become the truth. And THAT, my friends, is the key. The opposition has based their entire platform on a lie...everything... and a foundation based on something so precarious as that WILL, sooner or later, crumple. I am predicting sooner...This MONUMENT will FALL and when it does, it will take those who have "bonded" themselves FOR it, crashing down WITH it. We are already seeing signs of it with the "weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth". "Karma is unforgiving and always gets payback."

We are not a perfect community, and no one that lives here would ever claim that. BUT, we are a community of good people who love this land but more importantly, we love the Blessings of Liberty and are willing to pay the price to keep them.

As a community, we have transcended religion, race, cultural and political differences. With all the heartache and sleepless nights; the setting up for parades and booths and protests; creating brochures, signs, maps, and t-shirts and decals; letter writing campaign after letter writing campaign; preparing and sending packages to those with the hope that they might use their voices to possibly speak on behalf of our endangered lands and freedoms; having the audacity to plan a FREEDOM FEST in 6 WEEKS!; traveling to parades, setting up booths, tearing down the booths (and sometimes tearing UP the booths) and participating in protests and press conferences to help ensure the TRUTH would at least be SAID, if not heard; the loss of time for self and even harder, with family; and maybe the hardest of all, at least for me, delving into the dark and putrid pits of conversations taking place on social media to defend our community and our quiet way of life and then trying to survive the ugliness that is so pervasive in the tones and words that live there; after ALL of this and more, I can say (and I can only speak for myself) that it has ALL been WORTH it.

Just a few of the many people we've walked the talk with.

I wouldn't trade any of it for the people and the bond and the friendships that have come into my life because of this struggle... I have formed such a deep Respect and Kinship with those that I have had the honor and privilege of working side by side that it really has become a part of who I am now. I have watched as so many have sacrificed over and over again with their offerings of time, talents, resources, and knowledge. Everyone of you that I have marched side by side with, conversed, planned, rode to and from events with, hash tagged, "liked" and "loved", been "angry" and "sad" with, has touched my life for good. And Grandma Betty Jones, you are the ALL-TIME MVP, ROCKSTAR!!! I truly love and respect you. I truly love and respect all of you.

Sooooooo with all of that said, we are on the home stretch ladies and gentlefolk! NOW is NOT the time to give up or to slow down! (Ok, we ALL need that Pepsi and pony break so we don't break down...but after that...)

Right now, after all that's been said and done, we need to ...you guessed it....write letters! To President-Elect Donald Trump and to the 115th congress. (See the "Save the Bears Ears" website and face book page for more info...) We also, and I believe this with ALL of my HEART, need to keep praying and I am convinced that a community-wide non-denominational fast is KEY to finishing this the right way and with victory.

Whatever God you worship or whatever your higher power is (as long as it's not a tree-ehhh, couldn't resist that one) I sincerely believe we need to petition in humility, for His blessings to be poured out on this community. EVERY TIME that we fasted as a community in the past 6 months for this cause, we were blessed with moisture. To me, and I know too many others, this was a sign that God was aware of us and was pleased with our efforts. We have seen MIRACLES. Not one of us can deny the storm that was calmed the night of the Freedom Fest. There wasn't anything we could have done to stop the wind and the rain from coming, BUT HE could and HE did. All we could do is exercise some faith, and we did.

For those of you that are leaders in this community, I am asking you to join me and invite others to do the same. If you would all please let me know your thoughts, I would like to see our community set aside a day of fasting and prayer, beginning the 19th around 6:00 pm and ending on the 20th around that same time, concluding with a prayer and gathering as a community.

I have no doubt that we are going to WIN this BATTLE!!!