Relatives with whom we share the land — black bears in Navajo Nation

“Shí éí Deandra Jones yinishyé. Kinł ichii'nii nishłį,́ Áshįįhi bashishchiin, Bit'ahnii dashicheii dóó dashinalí. Lókʼaaʼchʼégai déé’ naashá. Shimá dóó shizhé’é éí Veronica dóó Davis Jones wolyé. Ákót’éego diné asdzáán nishłį.́” This is how National Geographic Explorer, biologist and Navajo Nation member Deandra Jones introduces herself.

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Featured photograph courtesy of Deandra Jones

This is how National Geographic Explorer, biologist and Navajo Nation member Deandra Jones introduces herself. It’s part of the traditional Navajo introduction that honors family lineage and expresses the kinship ties that reveal who they are related to and where they come from. Her introduction translates to:

“My name is Deandra Jones. I am of the Red House People, born for the Salt People. My maternal and paternal grandparents are of the Folded Arms Clan, or Under His Cover Clan. I am from Lukachukai, Arizona. My parents are Veronica and Davis Jones. That’s who I am as a Navajo woman.”

Her grandparents’ clan — Under His Cover — is connected to traditional Navajo clan lineages guided by teachings of healing, protection, and leadership. These values are embodied by the black bear.

“In my culture, black bears are our protectors and seen as more than just animals,” Jones said. “They represent knowledge, strength and healing … it’s why they hold such an important place in our prayers and ceremonies.”

Perhaps it was this deep lineage and cultural connection that led her to their conservation, a calling she continues to understand through her work.

Studying black bears on the Navajo Nation — a territory that spans over 27,000 square miles across parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah — was a subject ripe for research. Despite black bears’ reverence within the culture many questions remain. Some are straightforward: How many black bears reside within the Navajo Nation? Others, far more complex: With black bear habitats shrinking due to threats like climate change, how can communities encourage positive interactions between humans and bears as they live closer together? Jones’ five-year project is investigating these and more, with support from the Native American Fish and Wildlife Society, Navajo Nation Department of Fish and Wildlife (NNDFW), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), and the National Geographic Society.

A mother black bear and her cub investigate a collection site. Chuska Mountains, Navajo Nation.Video courtesy of Deandra Jones

“Openly discussing black bear research can be sensitive. That’s part of the reason there are so many unknowns,” Jones said. “They are seen as our relatives with whom we share the land, and it’s respectful to give them a safe distance.”

Before the project even started, Jones began with ceremony, not field work. Guided by her parents, who serve as her cultural advisers, she held a ceremony to protect her mind, body, and spirit before entering the field. She continues to hold ceremonies and cleansing practices to maintain balance with herself, the bears, and the land. The process helps her move past self-doubt and trust in her path forward.

In 2022, Jones’ work began in communities, listening and learning about how human-bear interactions impact the daily lives of Navajo people. This aspect of the project was imperative, Jones said, as it integrated the communities’ deep, generational wisdom and cultural reverence, referred to as Traditional Ecological Knowledge or TEK, into her project methodology.

“What I heard from the community was that I needed to approach this with great care and respect,” Jones recalled. “Through these conversations and conversations with my parents, I was given ideas on how to do that.”

National Geographic Explorer Deandra Jones collects a black bear hair sample from the collection site. Chuska Mountains, Navajo Nation. *(Photograph courtesy of Deandra Jones)*

After several weeks of listening to members of the community, referencing dozens of previous conservation research, and conducting a pilot study to see her methods in action, Jones formally began her field work within the Chuska Mountains in the northeastern portion of the Navajo Nation. For her project, she collected hair samples from bears living in the mountain range in the hopes that genetic information from the hair would open doors into the secretive lives of black bears.

In her first field season, Jones established 36 square-shaped collection sites in areas thought to be within black bear territory. She wrapped barbed wire around trees. Within the sites, she placed a sensory-filled station with a delectable combination of sardines, sweet-fishy smelling commercial liquids aptly named Bear Lure and glazed doughnuts. When bears come to explore the scents, their bodies brush against the wire, leaving behind hair (and their DNA) for analysis. Cameras mounted on nearby trees capture the bears’ in action.

A black bear is caught on camera near a collection site. Chuska Mountains, Navajo Nation. July 2025. *(Photograph courtesy of Deandra Jones)*

“The bears really seem to enjoy the lures,” Jones said. “They kind of act how cats do when you give them catnip!”

Early analysis from hundreds of hair samples has identified over 60 individual bears. Jones continues to expand her collection sites, and hopes that by 2027 she will have a database that illustrates how bears move around the Navajo Nation, which can help predict where human-bear interactions are most likely to occur.

A collection site set up by Jones. Chuska Mountains, Navajo Nation. *(Photograph courtesy of Deandra Jones)*

While collecting hair samples, Jones practices respect and reciprocity. At each collection site, she leaves a traditional offering of corn pollen. The act, accompanied by prayer, is a way of giving back and honoring the relationship with the land and the bears who share it. It’s a reminder to remain in balance, to give in return for what is received.

An offering of corn pollen left behind at a collection site. *(Photograph courtesy of Deandra Jones)*

“Bears mean a lot to me, my culture, and the overall balance of nature,” Jones said. “The land remembers what we do. The animals remember what we do. That’s why the way we carry ourselves in life and in research matters.”

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ABOUT THE WRITER

Kennedy Lamb is a Communications Specialist for the National Geographic Society. She harnesses her passion for science to translate complex topics into captivating stories that inspire a deeper connection to the wonders of our world.

The National Geographic Society is a global nonprofit organization that uses the power of science, exploration, education and storytelling to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world. Since 1888, National Geographic has pushed the boundaries of exploration, investing in bold people and transformative ideas, providing more than 15,000 grants for work across all seven continents, reaching 3 million students each year through education offerings, and engaging audiences around the globe through signature experiences, stories and content.

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