NEWS RELEASE: California Tribal Leaders Praise Designation of National Marine Sanctuary and Urge Action by Biden Administration on Proposed National Monuments
California (October 10, 2024)- Today Tribal leaders in California thanked the Biden administration for the designation of the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary. This will be the first Tribally nominated National Marine Sanctuary in the US and the first new sanctuary to be designated in California in more than 25 years.
Tribal leaders also urged President Biden to continue adding to his significant conservation legacy by designating three new national monuments in California before the end of his term. Tribes in both Northern and Southern California are calling for the designation of these proposed monuments, which would collectively protect over 1.2 million acres of public lands in the state.
Please see below for statements from Tribal leaders and background on the proposed monuments:
“Hearing the news about the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary gives us hope of a renewed commitment to honor the traditional knowledge of the Indigenous peoples of California through co-stewardship and proper management of these important places. These collaborations are needed to protect the vitally important ecosystems we all rely on. It is also inspiring news for us in Pit River who look forward to similar protections and partnerships for our ancestral homelands through the designation of Sáttítla National Monument.” – Brandy McDaniels, Madesi Band Cultural Representative, Appointed Sáttítla Working Group Lead, Pit River Nation
“The Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians congratulate the Chumash people on designation of this Marine Sanctuary. This action displays the power of conservation not just for conservation’s sake, but with costewardship that respects the government to government relationship as it should be. We look to the Biden administration to continue this momentum by designating Chuckwalla National Monument, and look forward to a continued government to government relationship into the future to steward these lands.” – Thomas Tortez Jr., Chairman, Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians
“The designation of the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary is an incredible milestone that shows the power of Indigenous-led stewardship. This recognition honors the Chumash people’s deep connection to their waters and sets an important example for our work with the proposed Kw'tsán and Chuckwalla National Monuments. Protecting these areas is about safeguarding our history and culture, just like the Chumash have done. It reminds us why it’s so important to keep fighting for the preservation of our lands and waters for future generations.” — Councilwoman Gloria McGee, Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe
The proposed Sáttítla National Monument includes over 200,000 acres of culturally significant, ecologically rich, and geologically unique land within the Shasta-Trinity, Klamath, and Modoc National Forests in northeastern California. Since time immemorial, the Pit River Nation has regarded Sáttítla as sacred, and this area remains a spiritual center for the Pit River and Modoc Nations as well as for surrounding Tribal Peoples. This sacred land remains integral to the cultural identity and spiritual practices of these peoples today. The Pit River Tribe initiated the call for this national monument and has been working for generations to protect this landscape from the threat of industrial development.
The proposed Chuckwalla National Monument includes approximately 627,000 acres of public lands in Riverside and Imperial Counties. It is located south of Joshua Tree National Park and reaches from the Coachella Valley region in the west to near the Colorado River in the East. This effort also proposes protecting approximately 17,000 acres of public lands in the Eagle Mountains adjacent to Joshua Tree National Park. Six Tribes have called on President Biden to protect this cultural landscape: the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians, the Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe, the Cahuilla Band of Indians, the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe, the Colorado River Indian Tribes, and the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians.
The Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe has called on President Biden to designate the proposed Kw’tsán National Monument to protect more than 390,000 acres of the Tribe’s homelands in Imperial County. The proposed monument is part of a greater cultural landscape that connects to the Chuckwalla National Monument and the previously designated Avi Kwa Ame National Monument in Nevada. National monument status for Kw’tsán would provide protections for cultural and sacred sites and prevent new mining claims and large industrial development within its boundaries.
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