Proclamation 9558

Filmed using live-action footage and sourced photos and video
Audio footage: Donald Trump's announcement reducing Utah's national monuments via CNN

On December 28, 2016, Barack Obama established the Bears Ears National Monument in Utah with Proclamation 9558. It covered an area of 1,351,849 acres. This land, considered sacred by Native Americans, bears natural, cultural and historic significance, and contains tens of thousands of archaeological sites. Just under one year later, on December 4, 2017, President Donald Trump followed recommendations from Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and reduced the monument by 85%. The areas removed from the monument are now open to privatization.

This video juxtaposes the establishment and vast beauty of the protected land area with its swift erasure following President Trump’s announcement. This announcement comprises the audio for the video. Video editing reveals a visual sleight of hand, with transitions between digital images of the place and printed, physical translations. While people might read about Bears Ears and try to understand it using Google Maps and images, it is viscerally located on a vast expanse of desert. Proclamation 9558 highlights that reality—and the reality of its loss. The video ends with ironic applause from the crowd. The people of the United States are fervently divided in this political era.