GRAND CANYON, Arizona — Navajo and Hopi officials are among a coalition of tribes supporting a proposal to designate 1.1 million acres adjacent to Grand Canyon National Park as a monument.

Sen. Kirsten Cinema, Rep. Raul Grijalva, Coconino County Superintendent Lena Fowler, Flagstaff Mayor Becky Daggett Call on President Joe Biden to Establish Bahji Nwabjo Itah Kukubeni 12 Tribesmen Joined leaders, county and city officials. monument.

The group met on April 11 at a Zoom meeting hosted by the Grand Canyon Trust.

Establishing a monument helps protect a tribe’s cultural resources while permanently protecting them from uranium mining and other development. The area the coalition wants designated was placed under his 20-year development withdrawal in 2012 by former Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. A moratorium on uranium and other hard rock mining is due to expire in 2032. If Biden declares the area a national monument, the ban will apply forever.

The Grand Canyon Tribes Federation supports the proposed monument because it honors the tribe’s cultural ties to the Grand Canyon. The Hopi call it I’tah kukveni, which means ‘our footprint’. The Havasupai, the only tribe still living within the Grand Canyon, call it Baji Nuwavujo, which means “where the tribe roams.”

Richard Begay of the Navajo Cultural Preservation Agency, on behalf of Navajo President Buu Nygren, said the Navajo support the designation.

“We have lived in the Grand Canyon for thousands of years,” said Begay. “We need to protect water, plants and wildlife.”

Begay said the Navajo support a ban on uranium mining in or near the Grand Canyon. He also said that the Navajo would like to see a monument jointly managed by the tribe once the memorial is established.

Hopi President Tim Nuvanyaoma reiterated his hopes for joint tribal management of the monument in the future. He said it was healthy for all tribes to support the designation and that they would support the idea of ​​tribes co-managing the monument.

“This is a great foundation for young people to learn,” he said.

Nuvanyaoma said President Biden should use his powers under the Antiquities Act to erect the monument. Encouraged by the proposed designation, he said the area was part of the ancestral land of the Hopi people and an important part of the tribe’s culture.

“Our cultural traditions are tied to the Grand Canyon,” he said.

Coconino County Superintendent Lena Fowler, who is Navajo, said the board has a long history of supporting a ban on uranium in or near the Grand Canyon. We also mentioned that it is one of the most visited parks in America.

“Today is a great day for all the tribes here,” she said of the Zoom meeting.

Fowler pointed out that in 2012 Congress enacted a 20-year ban on uranium mining on these lands adjacent to the Grand Canyon.

“This monument is very important to the area. The monument will not affect grazing, hunting, or outdoor recreation. It will protect water and wildlife habitat. It’s important,” she said.

Fowler said it’s important to protect the Colorado River watershed, including the natural hot springs around the monument.

“This is our hometown. We are encouraged by this,” she said.

Mayor Daggett said Flagstaff supports the proposed monument.

“Thank you to all the Indigenous people who worked so hard to make this happen,” she said.

Senator Cinema said the Grand Canyon area is an important natural resource that outdoor enthusiasts enjoy. She said she supported the proposed memorial just as she supported the Grand Canyon Conservation Act.

Cinema said the tribe and local leaders have gone to great lengths to support the memorial, and she is honored to be a part of it.

“I’m looking forward to seeing this come to fruition,” she said.

Rep. Grijalva said cinema’s support is essential and he appreciates the unity of tribal leaders.

“It is not easy to fight to protect our natural heritage,” he said. We recognize that the Grand Canyon is home to the hearts of many tribes whose sacred heritage deserves appreciation and respect. I am proud to be here with my tribe. ”

Grijalva said his staff had discussed the memorial several times, but at a press conference the memorial proposal was formalized. He said the president’s staff are aware of the memorial proposal and his staff will work with the president’s staff every step of the way.

Grijalva said the proposal had a lot of support and was optimistic about the opportunity. He also expressed the need to protect the Grand Canyon watershed.

“We don’t have that protection now,” he said. “Water is life. Life is water.”

Gurijavara said the creation of the monument would increase security for the tribe.

“This will bring attention to what the Grand Canyon means to the general public and the country as a whole,” he said.