Following a presidential proclamation that shrank Bears Ears National Monument by 90 percent and disbanded its historic Inter-Tribal Commission, the federal government is removing tribal seals from the monument’s entrance signs.
BLM removes tribal seals from monuments in Utah, after Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Commission ordered disbanded (Photo: Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition)
Published July 23, 2026 03:42 pm
Tribal signs that once marked the boundaries of Bears Ears National Monument in Utah are disappearing.
In early July, President Trump once again cut Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears National Monuments, this time reducing the size of two protected areas in Utah by nearly 3 million acres, leaving them at a fraction of their originally designated size. Following the July 13 presidential proclamation, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which manages the monuments, removed previously included tribal seals on signs around Bears Ears.
“When I first saw that the Bears Ears symbol and tribal seals were taken down, I sat there. I know to some people it may just seem like a sign, but to me it represents something much bigger,” said Davina Smith-Idjesa, Navajo Nation representative and co-chair of the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition. Outside.
Five seals representing the Hopi Tribe, Navajo Nation, Pueblo of Zuni, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, and Ute Indian Tribe were established as symbols. Bears Ears Commission-A federal-tribal partnership that helped shape the monument. The seals were installed on commemorative signs as official symbols of tribal sovereignty and government, and Smith-Idjesa said their removal is a “physical reminder of how quickly years of relationship-building, trust and progress can be taken away.”
in an email to OutsideA BLM spokesperson said the Bears Ears Commission was disbanded under Trump’s direction. As such, tribal seals have been removed.
“BLM has begun efforts to enforce the revised boundaries of Bears Ears National Monument established by President Trump on July 13, 2026. Signs along the former boundary of the monument are being removed, as well as signs bearing tribal seals,” a spokesperson said. Outside. “The seals were a recognition of the Bears Ears Commission, which has been disbanded and terminated. BLM will continue to consult with tribal nations in accordance with applicable laws.”
Ruben Pacheco, director of communications and partnerships for Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition, said Outside Members of that community took before-and-after photos near the small towns of Mexican Hat and Bluff, Utah.
Pacheco said, “We first began hearing reports from community members that they were being removed on Tuesday, July 20. Based on what we’re seeing, seals are being removed from signs inside the new boundaries, and signs outside the new boundaries are being removed entirely.”
Photos were posted after this Instagram By a group of conservation groups, including the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, Center for Western Priorities, Alliance for a Better Utah, Bears Ears Coalition, and Keep Parks Public.
under him newly signed initiativeTrump reduced Bears Ears by about 121,000 acres and Grand Staircase-Escalante by about 182,000 acres. Previously, Bears Ears comprised 1.36 million acres and Grand Staircase-Escalante comprised a total of 1.9 million acres.
The tribes say BLM’s removal of the signs represents an administrative dismantling of the Bears Ears Commission.
“Seeing those signs made me think about our history. Native people have seen promises broken, treaties ignored, reservation boundaries reduced, and lands taken away despite the wishes of others. It made me wonder if we are seeing another version of that today,” said Smith-Idjesa. “Now we’ve seen the Bears Ears boundaries reduced, the Bears Ears Commission eliminated, signs removed, and tribal leadership pushed aside. That’s why this has hit so hard. It’s not about the signs.”
The Outdoor Alliance, an outdoor recreation group, is used data From jungle society and trails, as well as known trails and climbing routes, to create maps showing which recreational areas within Bears Ears will be affected.
“Shrinking these monuments by more than ninety percent not only erases the lines on the map, it also attempts to erase the vision of the five tribal nations of the Bears Ears Intertribal Coalition to protect their ancestral homelands in a generous and inclusive manner for the benefit of all Americans,” said Adam Cramer, CEO of the Outdoor Alliance. Outside.
According to the Outdoor Alliance, the revised monument boundaries no longer include more than 500 miles of trails and more than 1,200 climbing routes and boulder problems from Bears Ears National Monument. The new ranges include more than 230 miles of trails and more than 100 climbing routes and no boulder problems from nearby Grand Staircase-Escalante.
Smith-Idjesa says the shrinking of Bears Ears’ boundaries does not diminish ancestral responsibility and heritage.
“Removing the signs does not erase our relationship with Bears Ears. It does not erase our responsibility to this place. The Coalition of Tribes will continue to fulfill that responsibility no matter what roadside signs are in place,” he said. Outside. “Those signs represented hope.”
