SALT LAKE CITY — Dozens of Utahns were dancing on the steps of the Utah State Capitol on Saturday.
“There's a grassroots movement of indigenous folks that have a lot to say,” said land protector Jessica Wiarda.
Many braved the 100-degree heat to protest the shrinking of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Escalante National Monuments.
“With the recent reductions from this administration, Indigenous peoples, we're all disheartened, really disheartened, so we really wanted people to see us, and then they'd hear us,” said land protector Emerson Hackford.
However, the sweltering heat reminded Wiarda of where she came from.
“At least for my tribe, the Hopi tribe, the lesson is that life is hard. It's not easy,” she said. "I’ve gone to many powwows. This heat is not abnormal. They dance for hours in this heat, so they have the discipline.”
On July 13, shortly after President Trump signed the executive order, Governor Spencer Cox released the following statement:
"The reduced size and scale allow agencies to better provide management, preservation, and public access to both monuments for generations to come. Lands not included within the modified monument boundaries remain protected under existing federal and state law as a part of America’s public lands."
WATCH: Trump shrinks Bears Ears, Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments again
However, many Indigenous communities felt left out of the conversation and believe these public lands should be protected.
“I already knew. I was like, 'There's no comment period. There's nothing. We have nothing.' So I was ready to fight,” Wiarda said.
“Native peoples have been ignored, and when it comes to our public land in Utah, it's insanity because without it, there is no Utah,” Hackford said.
“Our public lands are not for sale, because if we lose Bears Ears, we lose part of who we are,” said activist Caroline Gleich at Saturday’s protest.
The message was clear: they want fellow Utahns to get involved in these political discussions, amongst both state and local leaders.
“When they see people in these meetings, it really shows leadership that we do care,” Wiarda said. "They can see us on social media, but if we're not showing up, they're just going to keep going. So, we need to be there.”
"It's truly just important for people to come out here to know what's going on, to understand that these places are sacred, and they deserve [to be] protected for not only us today, but for future generations,” Hackford said.
