The 5th Annual Bears Ears Summer Gathering is set to take place this weekend at the Kigalia Guard Station within Bears Ears National Monument. Organized by Utah Diné Bikéyah, a non-profit supporting Native Tribes, the three-day camp-out runs from Friday, July 19 at 12 p.m. through Sunday, July 21 at 12 p.m.
This year's gathering focuses on Pueblo culture, honoring relatives from the 19 Pueblos of New Mexico, the Hopi Tribe in Arizona, and the Ysleta del Sur in Texas. Ahjani Yepa, the Pueblo Community Outreach Coordinator for Utah Diné Bikéyah, stated that the event is a celebration of unity and a return to a sacred landscape.
The weekend agenda begins on Friday with Diné Day. The schedule includes a Sunrise Ceremony, media and cultural sensitivity training, and an opening by San Juan County Commissioners Kenneth Maryboy and Willie Grayeyes. Featured participants include poet Kinsale Houston, Navajo Zachariah George, weaver Mark Deschin and storyteller Raymond Redhouse, and a plant walk led by TJ Redhouse.
Saturday is designated as Pueblo Day. Activities begin with the Oljato Veterans Group posting the colors, followed by workshops on Pueblo pottery led by elders from San Ildefonso Pueblo and food sovereignty led by Red Willow Farm of Taos Pueblo. The afternoon features discussions on environmental health and reproductive justice from Tewa Women United, alongside Indigenous Science/Dino talks led by Kevin Madalena.
The evening of Saturday includes Traditional Indigenous Games, Pueblo Dancing by the Oak Canyon Dancers, a Pueblo Feast Dance, and storytelling by Waya of Acoma Pueblo.
Sunday, identified as Ute/Inter-Tribal Day, will feature a morning prayer led by Malcolm Lehi, followed by the Bears Ears Summer Gathering Fun Run 10k/5k. Tommy Rock will discuss the legacy of uranium in the region. The event concludes at noon with a light lunch provided by the Indigenous Healing Kitchen and a closing ceremony by the Oljato Veterans.
The Indigenous Healing Kitchen will serve pre-contact dishes prepared by food activists Karlos Baca, Josh Nez, Frankie Peralto, and Dinéh Tohe. This year's meal includes bison donated by the Skull Valley Band of Goshutes.
Utah Diné Bikéyah board chairman Davis Filfred described the annual gathering as a time for Indigenous cultures to connect with the living, cultural landscape. The organization encourages the Native American public to sign up for the three-day camp-out featuring various cultural activities, ceremonies, and healing.
