Designate Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument

Update: Thanks to the voices of the tribes and supporters around the nation, Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument was officially designated by President Joe Biden on August 8, 2023! Learn more about the new national monument here.

Baaj Nwaavjo means “where tribes roam” for the Havasupai Tribe and I’tah Kukveni means “our ancestral footprints” for the Hopi Tribe. “Where tribes roam; our ancestral footprints.” Today, the tribal leaders of the Grand Canyon Tribal Coalition announced they are launching an effort to call on President Joe Biden to designate the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument. The proposal builds on the longstanding effort to permanently protect the region.

When we protect the Grand Canyon from new uranium mining, we protect tribes’ ancestral homelands, our water and one of our most cherished spaces for recreation.

With the Grand Canyon only an hour away from our headquarters and as a place where so many of us find joy, solace and challenge within the canyon walls, Kahtoola stands behind the 12 Tribal Nations in protection of these federal private lands. We support a Tribally developed plan and vision to designate Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument. We thank the Tribes for their unwavering dedication to stewarding these lands.

What You Can Do

We urge President Joe Biden to #ListenToTribes and designate the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument. Use the form below created by our partners at Grand Canyon Trust to send a personal note President Biden.

Some key points you might include:

• The federal public lands within the proposed monument boundary are ancestral lands and the tribes maintain strong cultural connections here to this day.
• These tribes are the original stewards of these lands.
• The monument would protect sacred sites, cultural sites, and precious water sources that flow into the Colorado River.

Please take a few minutes to personalize your message, share your experience of the Grand Canyon, and explain why this new monument matters to you personally. Personalizing your message makes a huge difference, and together, we can protect this natural marvel for future generations.