ICYMI: President Biden Designates Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument

As part of his unprecedented commitment to conserving 30% of lands and waters by 2030 and ahead of the one-year anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act, today President Biden established the Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument. Marking the 5th new national monument created by President Biden, this designation protects nearly 1 million acres of public lands surrounding Grand Canyon National Park and conserves this majestic land for all future generations.

The monument designation protects lands that have tremendous significance spiritually, scientifically, and economically and that are home to vast ecosystems and cultural sites, while honoring our promise to Tribal Nations. Havasupai Councilmember Stewart Chavez told the Arizona Daily Sun, "There are generations before me that are gone that are definitely rejoiceful in the spirit world at this point. …I think the message that I have is 'thank you, from the bottom of my heart.' For someone to have finally acknowledge Indigenous tribes. And it took this long, but for someone to actually respond, understand the request that we've had for years, the importance of preserving not only our history, but also our culture and the land for future generations."

At the same time, the Biden-Harris Administration announced a $44 million investment from the Inflation Reduction Act to make parks and communities everywhere more resilient to climate change and ensure future generations of Americans can enjoy these iconic landscapes. President Biden will continue to lead on the most ambitious climate and conservation agenda in history, which is creating good-paying union jobs, strengthening America's energy security, and delivering clean air and clean water for all people.

Read more below:

Arizona Daily Sun: Biden to declare new Grand Canyon monument, protecting nearly 1 million acres from uranium mining
[Adrian Skabelund, 8/8/23]

After years of effort on the part of local tribes, nearly 1 million acres around the Grand Canyon are expected to be designated as part of the new Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument. According to reports, the announcement will be official Tuesday morning, after President Joe Biden had landed at Grand Canyon Airport on Monday night. The new monument "honors our solemn promise to Tribal Nations to respect sovereignty, preserves America's iconic landscapes for future generations, and advances my commitment to protect and conserve at least 30% of our nation's land and waters by 2030," Biden said in a statement about the monument designation.

Havasupai Councilmember Stewart Chavez told the Arizona Daily Sun he was almost taken aback by the announcement [...] "There are generations before me that are gone that are definitely rejoiceful in the spirit world at this point," he said. "I think the message that I have is 'thank you, from the bottom of my heart.' For someone to have finally acknowledge Indigenous tribes. And it took this long, but for someone to actually respond, understand the request that we've had for years, the importance of preserving not only our history, but also our culture and the land for future generations." Arizona Congressman Raúl Grijalva has introduced countless bills to do so, and thanked the efforts of tribes and tribal members for getting the administration to act... "Together with the Biden-Harris administration, we're ensuring the protection of the region's vast and rich natural resources, safeguarding cultural heritage, and preserving the incredible beauty of this iconic landscape for generations to come."

National Geographic: 1 million acres of 'sacred' land near Grand Canyon are receiving new protections
[Dina Fine Maron, 8/8/23]

The White House is set to declare today that nearly one million acres of public land adjacent to Grand Canyon National Park will become the country's newest national monument. The move, first confirmed to National Geographic by the White House, will honor Indigenous homelands in northern Arizona and protect the site from any new uranium mining projects. The site encompasses natural habitat for the critically endangered California condor, and it is an important watershed for the Colorado River, which provides water to 40 million Americans. It's also habitat for desert bighorn sheep, and birds including the threatened western yellow-billowed cuckoo and the endangered southwestern willow flycatcher. The decision by President Joe Biden is the culmination of a lobbying effort by a dozen tribes who have historical ties to the region and advocated for its monument status. It will be called Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument. Baaj nwaavjo (BAAHJ – NUH-WAAHV-JOH) means "where Indigenous peoples roam" in the Havasupai language, and i'tah kukveni (EE-TAH – KOOK-VENNY) means "our ancestral footprints" in the Hopi language. […] "Being part of this announcement means everything to me," says Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, the first Native American cabinet secretary. "I am filled with gratitude for President Biden's dedication to Indigenous peoples and his understanding of our unbreakable ties to our ancestral homelands."

Arizona Mirror: Arizona gets a new national monument as Biden designates Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni
[Shoniin Silversmith, 8/8/23]

After months of advocating from several tribal nations, Arizona is home to a new national monument, as President Joe Biden officially designated Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni on Tuesday, effectively barring mining on roughly a million acres of land near Grand Canyon National Park. "The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to honoring and respecting Tribal sovereignty, protecting Tribal homelands, and incorporating Indigenous Knowledge and robust Tribal consultation into planning and decision-making," White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory said. The Grand Canyon is the ancestral homeland of multiple tribal nations across the Southwest, and tribes still rely on the canyon for natural and cultural resources that are significant and sacred to their communities. "Today's designation supports tribally-led conservation efforts and helps address injustices of the past, including when tribes were forcibly removed from lands that later became Grand Canyon National Park," Mallory said. […] "National monuments protect the landscapes and ecosystems that make up this country, but they also preserve the stories, sites, and practices that tell us who we are. For the 12 tribes who have called the Greater Grand Canyon area home for centuries, it is the center of the universe," said Chris Hill, the Sierra Club's chief conservation officer. "Today, we celebrate President Biden's protection of this treasured place, and we urge him to continue to build his monumental legacy by protecting more of the lands and waters that we hold so dear."

Native News Online: President Biden Designates the Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument
[Darren Thompson, 8/8/23]

TUSAYAN, Ariz. — Today, President Joseph Biden established the Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni-Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument, making it the second Indigenous-led effort that resulted in the dedication of lands to a national monument. […] The decision is applauded by many, including Chairman of the Havasupai Tribe, Thomas Siyuja Sr.; the Hopi Tribe; Chairman of the Moapa Band of Paiutes, Greg Anderson; Navajo Nation President Nygren; Chairwoman for the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah, Corrina Bow; the Pueblo of Zuni, President of the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe Johnny Lehi Jr., Chairwoman for the Shivwits Band of Paiutes Hope Silvas, Chairwoman for the Yavapai-Apache Nation Tanya Lewis, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo), and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. […] Today's announcement is part of the Biden-Harris Administration's America the Beautiful Initiative, which supports locally-led conservation efforts nationwide to conserve and restore 30 percent of U.S. lands and waters by 2030.

Gila Herald: Biden Designates Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument
[Staff, 8/8/23]

President Biden used the Antiquities Act today to designate the Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument in northern Arizona, permanently protecting nearly 1 million acres of public land surrounding the iconic national park. Proposed to the Biden administration by the Grand Canyon Tribal Coalition, Baaj Nwaavjo means "where tribes roam" for the Havasupai Tribe, and I'tah Kukveni means "our ancestral footprints" in Hopi. […] "With this historic designation, President Biden is permanently safeguarding the magnificent rimlands that flank the Grand Canyon, their rich biodiversity, and life-giving springs and aquifers," said Taylor McKinnon, Southwest director at the Center for Biological Diversity.

Arizona Republic: Biden to designate a new national monument on sacred tribal lands near the Grand Canyon
[Brandon Loomis, 8/7/23]

President Joe Biden will designate a new national monument north and south of Grand Canyon National Park on Tuesday to preserve Native American cultural sites and protect the region from new uranium mining, the administration confirmed. The Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni-Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument protects thousands of sites that are sacred to the Havasupai, Hopi, Hualapai, Paiute, Navajo, Yavapai-Apache, Zuni and Colorado River Indian Tribes, the administration said. Its name comes from the Havasupai words baaj nwaavjo for "where Indigenous peoples roam," and the Hopi words i'tah kukveny for "our ancestral footprints." "Native American history is American history," U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said, and this monument will give tribal members a voice in managing lands where they and their ancestors have long lived, farmed and prayed.

Arizona Public Radio: Biden set to announce new national monument near Grand Canyon Tuesday
[Ryan Heinsius, 8/8/23]

President Joe Biden today will announce his declaration of a nearly 1-million-acre national monument near Grand Canyon National Park. The designation will make permanent a 2012 ban on new uranium mining claims in the area. Biden is set to announce the Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument today at Red Butte near the South Rim, one of the Havasupai Tribe's most sacred sites. U-S Interior Secretary Deb Haaland visited Havasupai in the spring to discuss the proposal. She spoke with reporters Monday ahead of Biden's announcement. "It will help protect lands that many tribes refer to as their eternal home, a place of healing and a source of spiritual sustenance. It will help ensure that Indigenous peoples can continue to use these areas for religious ceremonies," said Haaland.

CNN: Biden to designate a new national monument surrounding the Grand Canyon, blocking mining
[Betsy Klein, Arlette Saenz, and Ella Nilsen, 8/8/23]

President Joe Biden on Tuesday is set to designate the fifth national monument of his presidency and unveil new climate resilience funding for national parks during a visit to lands surrounding one of the seven natural wonders of the world, the Grand Canyon. The designation would protect the area from potential uranium mining. It also protects existing grazing permits and leases, existing mining claims and will support area hunting and fishing, officials said. It encompasses approximately 917,000 acres of public land, officials said. The president's trip to battleground Arizona is part of a three-stop Western swing to highlight his economic agenda and legislative accomplishments this week ahead of the one-year anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act, a sweeping climate, tax, and health care law. […] The designation will help ensure that the lands can be used by indigenous peoples for religious ceremonies, as well as for hunting and gathering. But it also sends an important signal to native people, Haaland said.

Politico: Biden to create monument around the Grand Canyon
[Scott Streater, 8/8/23]

The president will sign a proclamation creating his fifth national monument Tuesday, protecting lands important to a dozen Native American tribes. […] It's Biden's second national monument preserving land important to Native Americans. In March, he designated the Avi Kwa Ame National Monument in Nevada, which protects mostly BLM-managed lands that are considered sacred to Yuman-speaking Native American tribes. […] White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory praised Biden's efforts to establish monuments that "help ensure our national park sites tell a more complete story of our nation," including the displacement by the federal government of thousands of Native Americans from the region. "By answering the call of tribal leaders to protect these lands as his fifth new national monument, President Biden is helping address injustices of the past," Mallory said. "He is ensuring that the Grand Canyon, an iconic American treasure, will stay pristine for future generations."

Washington Post: Biden, on three-state tour, designates new national monument
[Matt Viser and Timothy Puko, 8/8/23]

In remarks from the historic Red Butte Airfield, Biden is expected to highlight his efforts to protect and conserve natural resources while promoting his investments in climate action, at a time when polling has shown that many voters disapprove of his handling of climate change. Biden on Tuesday is also designating a vast area as a national monument to safeguard it from uranium mining, which local tribal leaders and environmentalists have said would protect aquifers and water supplies and honor long-standing Native American connections to the land.[…] "This monument will show that we are beginning to protect the lands of the world," Dianna Sue WhiteDove Uqualla, a Havasupai Tribal Council member, said in a July statement anticipating the decision and provided by a coalition of monument advocates. […] In addition to this week's action, Biden has created the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument in Illinois and Mississippi last month, the Castner Range National Monument in Texas and Avi Kwa Ame National Monument in Nevada this spring, and the Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument in Colorado last year. The Biden administration on Tuesday also announced $44 million in federal funds that will be used to strengthen climate resilience in the National Parks system. The funds will go toward 43 projects across 39 states, as well as Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

NPR: Biden is creating a new national monument near the Grand Canyon
[Tamara Keith, 8/8/23]

President Biden is designating a new national monument near the Grand Canyon on Tuesday. The move protects lands that are sacred to indigenous peoples and permanently bans new uranium mining claims in the area. It covers nearly 1 million acres. The president will give remarks at the Historic Red Butte Airfield in Arizona at 11 a.m. local time before visiting the Grand Canyon. Tuesday's announcement is part of a trip that will include New Mexico and Utah, where Biden is expected to make the case for how he's tackling the climate and economic challenges facing Americans in the West.

Wall Street Journal: Biden to Designate New National Monument to Protect Land Near Grand Canyon
[Talal Ansari, 8/8/23]

President Biden plans to designate a new national monument that would protect lands near the Grand Canyon, a move that has been opposed by the mining industry. The Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument in northern Arizona will cover more than 900,000 acres of public land. Biden, who is in Arizona as part of a three-state tour, will designate the monument on Tuesday. […] "These special places are not a pass-through on the way to the Grand Canyon. They're sacred and significant in their own right. They should not be open to new mining claims and developed beyond recognition," U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said Monday.