A visit to the region around one of the seven natural wonders of the world, the Grand Canyon, by President Joe Biden on Tuesday is scheduled to include the designation of the fifth national monument of his administration and the announcement of increased financing for national parks to address climate change.
As a result of the classification, uranium mining would not be allowed there. In addition, current mining claims, grazing permits, and leases are protected, and local hunting and fishing are supported, according to officials. According to authorities, it covers about 917,000 acres of public land.
In advance of the one-year anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act, a comprehensive climate, tax, and health care bill, the president is making a three-stop Western tour to showcase his economic strategy and legislative successes this week. This trip includes Arizona, a key battleground state. The creation of the monument answers long-standing requests from tribal leaders, environmentalists, and Arizona lawmakers including independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema and Democratic Rep. Raul Grijalva for the protection of the areas around the Grand Canyon.
In an effort to preserve “nearly 1 million acres of greater Grand Canyon landscape,” Biden will declare Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument, Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory informed reporters.
“Tribal nations and indigenous peoples revere this territory. Many of its broad plateaus and deep valleys are similar to those of the Grand Canyon. The area’s most biodiverse habitats are found on this land, which offers a haven for animals including bighorn sheep, bison, bald eagles, and songbirds. Additionally, the meandering creeks and streams in the region feed into the Colorado River, which is a vital source of water for millions of people throughout the Southwest, Mallory added.
Many of us have fought for years to protect the Grand Canyon from harm caused by destructive, extractive industries like uranium mining, and with the designation of Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni, these areas are finally permanently protected. Carletta Tilousi, the coordinator of the Grand Canyon Tribal Coalition
Since months, the Biden administration has been soliciting opinions from the general public over the designation. In addition, in May, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, the first Native American to hold a Cabinet position, visited the region and met with tribe leaders. In order to visit Supai Village, the little community that serves as the administrative centre of the Havasupai Indian Reservation, Haaland and her colleagues travelled ten miles into the canyon.
The visit, according to Haaland, was “one of the most meaningful trips of my life,” she said, outlining the significance of the sites included in Tuesday’s declaration.
According to Haaland, the ancestors of the Havasupai people “lived, farmed, and prayed among the canyons and plateaus far beyond the boundaries of the reservation they now occupied.” The Havasupai people “were driven out of their homelands” as a result, she continued following the 1919 creation of the Grand Canyon National Park.
Many tribes in the southwest who can trace their ancestry to the Grand Canyon and the plateaus and tributaries that surround it have endured by upholding their traditional practises on sacred homelands just outside the park’s boundaries, she added.
The designation will make it possible for indigenous peoples to use the grounds for religious rituals and for hunting and gathering. But it also conveys a significant message to native people, according to Haaland.
She asserted that “Native American history is American history. Tomorrow will revolve around how this president and his administration view Indian country. As proof of that, I’m speaking to you as the first Native American Secretary of the Cabinet. Being acknowledged for who we are—the original guardians of our common lands and waters—means feeling noticed.
These unique locations are not just a stopover on the way to the Grand Canyon, continued Haaland. They are revered and important in and of themselves. They ought to be resistant to novelty.
Furthermore, according to Mallory, Biden will reveal a $44 million commitment to “strengthen climate resilience across our national park system,” which will be financed by funds from the Inflation Reduction Act.
In a state severely affected by extreme heat, he is anticipated to draw attention to the bill’s climate-related aspects more generally. In the Southwest, heat-related fatalities are on the rise, emergency rooms are overflowing with people who have suffered burns from the heat, and even animals are succumbing to heat disease. The city’s high temperature failed to hit 110 degrees Fahrenheit for the first time in a month last week, bringing an extraordinary hot run to an end.
