“Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni” means “where tribes roam” and “our footprints” in Havasupai and Hopi, respectively. Comprised of 1.1 million acres of federal public lands adjacent to Grand Canyon National Park, this Tribally proposed monument would protect ecologically critical habitat and watershed, safeguard Indigenous cultural sites and ensure access for traditional practices and the region’s famed recreational opportunities.
Tribes and local communities have long advocated for the region’s protection from uranium mining interests. Existing and shuttered mines have already poisoned local air and water while costing taxpayers millions to clean up. Despite this toxic history, industry interests continue to probe the region for mining opportunities.
It’s time to protect this region and its communities once and for all!
Sign The Wilderness Society Action Fund’s petition and tell President Biden to designate Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument!
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PETITIONING
President Biden
SPONSORED BY
Our Message to President Biden :
I stand with the Grand Canyon Tribal Coalition; federal, state and local elected leaders; business owners; recreationists; hunters/anglers; veterans; conservation advocates and community members in asking the President to designate the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument.
The proposed 1.1-million-acre monument has cultural connections to at least 12 Tribes and Nations. This Tribally led proposal dates back decades to numerous efforts to permanently protect the Grand Canyon region from new uranium mining and other harmful developments.
The proposed monument would protect important cultural sites for Indigenous communities and habitat for endangered species like California condors, Mexican spotted owls and the Fickeisen plains cactus. A monument designation would also protect hundreds of seeps and springs within the watershed of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, as well as the tributary streams they sustain, which in turn support flows in the river and habitat for highly endangered wildlife from the toxic impacts of uranium mining.
The Grand Canyon region provides opportunities for outdoor experiences and traditional uses of all types — from hiking, hunting, fishing and camping to grazing and Tribal uses like plant- and firewood- gathering. A national monument would maintain these existing uses while protecting the region’s clean air, land and water.
More than half of Arizonans participate in some kind of outdoor recreation. In 2022, outdoor activities in Arizona such as hiking, bicycling, boating, birdwatching and rafting in places like the Grand Canyon region generated $3.3 billion in wages and salaries and $787 million in state and local revenues while directly creating 104,000 jobs.
I urge you to seize upon this historic opportunity to permanently protect the cultural heritage, incredible biodiversity, precious waters and vital economic engine of the Grand Canyon region by designating the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument now.
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