Bears Ears: A Living Landscape
In southeastern Utah, two buttes rise above the surrounding landscape. Their shapes give Bears Ears its name. The national monument named for them includes canyons, mesas, forests, and desert habitats.
Bears Ears is a living cultural landscape. Indigenous people have connections to this region that reach from the past into the present. The land has meaning to many Tribal nations, and families and communities continue traditions connected to it. Some places and cultural information are sensitive, so respectful visitors do not need to know or share every location.
The region is home to plants and animals adapted to different elevations and dry conditions. It also contains places and objects that carry stories about the people who lived here before. These places are not abandoned parts of history: they remain important to living communities.
In 2015, five Tribal nations proposed protections for the Bears Ears region and a meaningful role for Tribes in its care. Bears Ears National Monument was established in 2016. Its boundaries have changed more than once since then.
- buttes:
- Steep, isolated hills with flat tops and vertical sides that rise sharply above the surrounding land.
- mesas:
- Broad, flat-topped landforms with steep cliff sides, larger than buttes.
- habitats:
- The natural environments where specific plants and animals live and grow.
- Indigenous:
- Originating in and naturally connected to a particular region; referring to the original peoples of a land.
- adapted:
- Adjusted over time to survive in specific environmental conditions, such as dry weather or high altitudes.
- elevations:
- Heights of land measured above sea level.
- designated:
- Officially marked, chosen, or set aside for a specific purpose.
- fragile:
- Delicate and easily damaged or broken.
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1Which five Tribal nations are represented by the Bears Ears Commission, and which federal agencies partner with them?
- 2How did Bears Ears get its name, and what kinds of physical landscapes are found within the monument?
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About this report passage for Middle School
“Bears Ears: A Living Landscape” is a report reading passage about Bears Ears National Monument and Tribal co-stewardship, written for Middle School. It takes about 2 minutes to read (277 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.