Biden designates national monument near Bidáá’ Ha’azt’i’

Posted by Rick Abasta | Aug 10, 2023 | News |

RED BUTTE, Ariz.

President Joe Biden signed a proclamation on Tuesday that officially established the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument.

The signing ceremony took place at the historic Red Butte Airfield near the Grand Canyon under windy and dusty conditions.

Navajo Times | Rick Abasta
Havasupai tribal members prepare for the opening prayer, song, and dance that started the event for the designation of the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument.

Biden said America’s natural wonders are the nation’s heart and soul.

“That’s not hyperbole; that’s a fact. They unite us. They inspire us. A birthright we pass down from generation to generation,” he said.

During his first week as president, Biden said he signed an executive order to protect 30 percent of the nation’s lands and waters by 2030.

“We’ve already restored protections for three national monuments gutted by the last administration, two not so far from here in Utah: the Grand Staircase (Escalante) and Bears Ears,” he said, drawing applause from the audience.
Biden recalled a young girl approaching him in Washington, asking, “Mr. President, would you take care of Bears Ears for me?”

He said new national monuments have also been designated, including Camp Hale in Colorado at 50,000 acres, Spirit Mountain in Nevada at 500,000 acres, and the Castner Range in Texas at 6,600 acres.

“And folks, it’s not hyperbole to suggest that there is no national treasure, none that is grander than the Grand Canyon,” he said. “The Grand Canyon, one of Earth’s nine wonders of the world, literally.”
As a young senator, Biden said he visited the Grand Canyon for the first time and said, “This is God’s cathedral. That’s what it reminded me of. It just is so magnificent.”

Biden said he was proud to use his authority under the Antiquities Act to protect about one million acres of public land around Grand Canyon National Park as a new national monument to right the wrongs of the past and “conserve this land of ancestral footprints for all future generations.”

“From time immemorial, more than a dozen tribal nations have lived, gathered, prayed on these lands. But some 100 years ago, they were forced out,” he said. “They fought for decades to be able to return to these lands, to protect these lands from mining and development, to clear them of contamination, to preserve their shared legacy for future generations.”

Navajo Times | Rick Abasta
President Joe Biden said America’s natural wonders are central to our heritage and national identity. He said the monument is sacred to tribal nations and revered by every American.

As president, Biden said he committed to prioritizing respect for tribal sovereignty and self-determination and honoring the U.S.’s solemn promises to tribal nations to fulfill federal trust and treaty obligations.
“I’ve pledged to keep using all that available authority to protect tribal lands,” he said.

The president said his execution of the national monument designation would protect and preserve the nation’s history, along with the high plateaus, deep canyons, and majestic red cliffs over 300 million years old.
Biden said they are central to the creation stories of many tribes and fundamental to the national identity and the tribal way of life.
“Ancestors are buried here, eternal sources of reverence and healing,” he said.

Biden said the lands now protected around the Grand Canyon support a range of ecosystems and plants, including iconic species like bats, bison, bighorn ship, and about 450 kinds of birds, including bald and golden eagles.
“They are the home of 3,000 cultural sites: cliff houses, cave paintings, ancient spots that help us understand the history of these civilizations,” he said. “By creating this monument, we’re setting aside new spaces for families to hike, bike, hunt, fish, and camp.”

Biden said preserving the lands is good for Arizona and the planet.

“It’s good for the economy. It’s good for the soul of the nation. And I believe with my core that it’s the right thing to do,” he said.

Tribal, federal, and state leaders joined the president on stage as he signed the proclamation.