07 Sep Avi Kwa Ame Monument Supporters Energized by Interior Secretary Deb Haaland Roundtable with Coalition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 7, 2022
Contact: Will Pregman, wpregman@battlebornprogress.org, 702.752.0656
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Avi Kwa Ame Monument Supporters Energized by Interior Secretary Deb Haaland Roundtable with Coalition
SEARCHLIGHT, NV – Today, Tribal leaders and members of the Honor Avi Kwa Ame coalition, a diverse network of organizations and activists supporting the designation of Avi Kwa Ame (a.k.a. Spirit Mountain) in Southern Nevada as a national monument, held a roundtable discussion with Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, as well as other federal officials.
The discussion covered the year-spanning efforts by Indigenous Yuman-speaking tribes to obtain federal protection for the nearly 450,000 acre site, as well as the conservation, economic, and recreational benefits of the monument designation. Monument supporters urged Secretary Haaland to advise President Biden and his Administration about the need to designate Avi Kwa Ame. This follows a concurrent effort by Congresswoman Dina Titus, who introduced a bill in the House of Representatives to declare Avi Kwa Ame as a national monument.
“Avi Kwa Ame is a landscape of breathtaking beauty, dotted by marvels of cultural and natural history. A land so critical in its spiritual importance to the Indigenous peoples whose land we now occupy, as well as to the diverse plant and animal life who call it home, is a vitally important space to protect,” said Annette Magnus, Executive Director of the Institute for a Progressive Nevada. “Southern Nevadans are privileged to have such a place right in their backyard. While much of the proposed land already enjoys some minimal levels of federal protection, designating this land as a national monument is key to bolster the protection of cultural artifacts and habitats for species like the desert bighorn sheep, or desert tortoise, who thrive and migrate through the area.
This designation will also benefit the economies of small municipalities in Southern Nevada, through an uptick in interest spurring outdoor recreational tourism throughout the year. We are so grateful to Secretary Deb Haaland and the Interior Department for visiting Walking Box Ranch, and other highlights of the proposed monument site today. In her role as the first Indigenous woman to lead an executive department, it signifies a shift towards honoring tribal sovereignty over the land they occupy, and hope to see this cooperation built upon in years to come. We want to thank Congresswoman Dina Titus, for bringing this land designation to the forefront with legislation. We also thank Congresswoman Susie Lee for attending this important roundtable and lending her support to the effort. We encourage President Biden, the Interior, and Congress to work together to have this important land designated as Nevada’s newest national monument as soon as they can, in accordance with the President’s America the Beautiful initiative, as well as doing right by the tribes who organized for years to make this happen.”
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About Institute for a Progressive Nevada: Institute for a Progressive Nevada, through strategic communication efforts, educates, empowers and engages Nevada voters to build a state where everyone has a fair opportunity to succeed.
For a full list of Avi Kwa Ame National Monument supporters, click here.
About Avi Kwa Ame (Pronunciation: Ah-VEE kwa-meh): Sacred to 12 tribes, the proposed Avi Kwa Ame National Monument is at the center of Yuman creation stories and spiritual ideology and deserves permanent protection. Located between the Lake Mead National Recreation Area and the Nevada/California border, Avi Kwa Ame, the Mojave name for Spirit Mountain, could be Nevada’s 4th national monument. Covering more than 380,000 acres in southwestern Nevada, it is rich in both history and beauty. The proposed national monument includes petroglyphs; historic mining- and pioneer-era artifacts; rare and threatened wildlife such as the Mojave Desert tortoise and desert bighorn sheep.To learn more, visit www.honoravikwaame.org. Follow along on social media on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter