Kelly, Gallego Urge Trump Administration to Protect Arizona’s Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni National Monument

“This isn’t a partisan issue”

Today, Arizona Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego urged Department of Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to assure Arizonans there won’t be attempts to undo the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument, Arizona’s newest national monument. In their joint letter, the senators bring up the economic, cultural, and natural importance of the monument, and the long effort by Tribal and local leaders to protect the area. 

“Today, people from around the nation and the globe travel to the Grand Canyon and the lands that surround it. They visit numerous small businesses, support over 10,000 jobs, and contribute over $1 billion to Arizona’s economy,” the Senators state. 

They continue, “The monument includes over 3,000 historic and cultural sites, including twelve that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. When the monument was proclaimed, Red Butte was visible behind the speakers. Red Butte is sacred to five Tribes and is the site of numerous pieces of pottery and stone tools that demonstrate thousands of years of human activity. In some areas of the monument, there are sites going back to the Stone Age that may be up to 10,000 years old. These sites are worthy of protection on those grounds alone.” 

Kelly and Gallego speak of the broad support for the monument: 

“A recent poll shows that 80 percent of Arizonans support the monument, including 72 percent of Republicans and 71 percent of voters who supported President Trump. The national monument also has the support of every Arizona tribe, hunting and fishing organizations, faith groups, state and local elected officials from a spectrum of political leanings, and local businesses.” 

They close, “Tribes and Arizona communities deserve to move on with the management planning process for this National Monument rather than worry that there may be attempts to remove it. Given the importance of the Monument to Tribal Nations and Communities, our economy, and immense public support we ask that you reassure Arizonans that Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni National Monument will remain intact for generations to come.” 

View the full letter here.