Join Tribal and Faith Leaders across Arizona to call for permanent protection of the Grand Canyon by asking President Biden to create Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument by signing this letter today!
Tribal leaders of the Grand Canyon Tribal Coalition, accompanied by Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), launched an initiative on April 11, 2023, urging President Joe Biden to use his powers under the Antiquities Act of 1906 to proclaim the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument. This proposition reinforces the tribes' longstanding campaign to permanently safeguard the area. Baaj Nwaavjo, meaning "where tribes roam" for the Havasupai Tribe, and I’tah Kukveni, meaning "our footprints" for the Hopi Tribe, both hold significant cultural importance.
The proposed Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument would cover 1,102,501 acres adjacent to Grand Canyon National Park. The national monument status would recognize the tribes' profound cultural bond with the Grand Canyon and secure the area by converting the temporary 20-year mining prohibition into a permanent one, while also enhancing the cultural, natural, recreational, and scientific resources of the region.