On December 28, 2016, President Obama set aside 1.3 million acres of federal land in southeastern Utah, to be known as Bears Ears National Monument. To protect the land, Obama used the Antiquities Act, the same law that Teddy Roosevelt used in 1908 to protect the Grand Canyon. Native American groups and environmentalists hailed Obama's decision, but oil, gas, and mining companies and Utah Republicans opposed the creation of the Monument. In May, I asked my friend Jake to join me on a trip to Utah for a hiking and paddling trip to explore Bears Ears. There, we discovered adventure — and an ongoing political fight that epitomizes the strange culture war sweeping America.
From the Field
Hank Leukart
Hank Leukart is a filmmaker passionate about sharing compelling, immersive stories, especially well-versed in launching film projects combining travel to unusual locales with socially-conscious issues like environmental conservation, human rights, and education. He’s worked as a producer on many iconic documentary television shows, including World’s Toughest Race (Amazon Prime); The Amazing Race, Big Brother, and The American Baking Competition (CBS); and Expedition Impossible (ABC). His first feature documentary, “The Mars Academy” — about NASA scientists helping underserved kids explore Mars with a real spacecraft — premiered at the Borrego Springs Film Festival. His second feature, "The John Muir," premiered at the Breckinridge Film Festival. His short films “Bears Ears” and “Rattlesnake to Westwater" won awards at the Lookout Wild, Maine Outdoor, and Waterwalker Film Festivals.