GRAND CANYON, AZ — Today the White House announced President Biden's decision to designate the Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni ("where Indigenous peoples roam, our ancestral footprints") – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument, a victory for tribes who, for decades, have worked to secure greater protections for their ancestral lands and waters in the Grand Canyon region.
Read Biden's proclamation of Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument ›
The new national monument spans nearly a million acres of forests and grasslands on the north and south rims of the Grand Canyon, protecting cultural and religious sites, plants, animals, and important water sources that flow into the Colorado River. Indigenous people continue to hunt, gather medicinal herbs, and conduct ceremonies here, as their ancestors have done since time immemorial.
Download a high resolution map of Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument ›
The Grand Canyon Tribal Coalition, led by the Havasupai Tribe, Hopi Tribe, Hualapai Tribe, Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians, Las Vegas Tribe of Paiutes, Moapa Band of Paiute Indians, Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah, Shivwits Band of Paiutes, Navajo Nation, San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe, Yavapai-Apache Nation, Zuni Tribe, and Colorado River Indian Tribes, proposed the monument and advocated for its designation.
"Today’s news has been years in the making. Congratulations to the Grand Canyon Tribal Coalition on this profoundly important, hard-earned day of celebration," said Ethan Aumack, executive director of the Grand Canyon Trust. "We look forward to their collaborative management of the new Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument. And we extend our most heartfelt thanks to the Biden administration, Congressman Grijalva, and Senator Sinema for listening to tribes and Arizona communities and taking one more step toward protecting the Grand Canyon region, its cultural heritage, and water resources forever."
Protecting Arizona's clean water supply is a top priority for 97 percent of the state's voters. The designation of Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument safeguards precious groundwater resources vital to tribal and local communities, as well as the Grand Canyon's seeps and springs, while honoring the deep connections of Native peoples to the Grand Canyon region.
