The commission that was created in the original Obama designation of the monument is an example of how the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples could work if applied uniformly to similar cases in the United States. It doesn’t go so far as to return the land to Native peoples, but it lets them have a strong voice in how the land that is essential for their spiritual well-being is managed. The Obama proclamation was well received among Native communities because of how the commission recognized that Bears Ears was supremely important to their culture and, as a direct result, involved them in determining the future of the monument. Articles 18 and 19 of UNDRIP in particular specify the need to involve elected Indigenous representatives to effectively collaborate on matters concerning their lands and cultures. All of the work to comply with UNDRIP hangs in uncertainty now that the Trump administration has moved to disband the commission along with the monument.
