In the Shadow of Bears Ears

In December of 2016, President Obama designated 1.3 million acres of federal land in sparsely populated southeastern Utah as Bears Ears National Monument. The Monument protected tens of thousands of man-made structures, rock art sites, and artifacts left by indigenous North American cultures that inhabited the region many centuries before Columbus. One short year later, President Trump ordered the Monument reduced in size by 85% (1.1 million acres). The legality of that order is being challenged. Meanwhile, large and culturally sensitive areas have been cut from the Monument, stripped of protection, and are once again vulnerable to the forces of degradation. Foremost among these is Cedar Mesa, a 350,000-acre plateau in the southern shadow of the Bears Ears buttes that contains the highest density of fragile prehistoric sites in the original Monument.    

 

This book provides an introduction to the culture of these prehistoric people (aka the Anasazi) and makes an argument to re-establish protection for Cedar Mesa.

 

At first glance, this is a “coffee-table” book, showcasing compelling images of haunting Anasazi structures by a fine art photographer. But this book also utilizes the E-Book’s potential for interactivity and multimedia. It provides an entertaining way to explore the Anasazi culture in greater depth. Each page brings surprises. Touching a page may reveal unseen details, different visual perspectives, or audio commentary from four experts. A touch may also display captions, tables, and text that expand on what is on the page. The goal of this book is to facilitate learning through entertainment, achieve understanding through learning, create respect through understanding, and motivate protection through respect.