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Public Lands and Tribal Rights

About this Course

This course provides a specialized field setting in which students will learn about the statutes, regulations, and other legal mechanisms (like tribal treaty rights and governmental rights) that govern protected public lands, such as National Parks and National Monuments. It will also give students an in-depth legal, cultural, and historical perspective on the various rights and interests held by the indigenous peoples who ancestors occupied these lands for thousands of years prior to European settlers arriving on the Colorado Plateau. The readings and other course materials will prepare students for a week in the field, visiting various sites on protected and unprotected public lands (around Moab, Utah, and points south), and meeting with tribal advocates and their representatives on the “front line” of the battle to protect irreplaceable public lands and natural resources in the (current and former) Bears Ears National Monument, which was partially rescinded by President Trump in 2017. Prerequisite: ENV5235 Natural Resources

Course number

5322

Program

Unspecified

Subject

Environmental Law