Gallego Applauds Biden for Establishing the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument

PHOENIX, AZ – Today, Rep. Ruben Gallego (AZ-03) applauded the Biden Administration for heeding the call of Tribal leaders and establishing the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument.

Statement from Rep. Ruben Gallego (AZ-03)

“The Grand Canyon is one of the natural wonders of the world and the ancestral home of numerous tribes. It is also an economic driver for Northern Arizona, generating millions of dollars from tourism and supporting thousands of jobs. It is vital that we protect this icon of our state and that we do so in consultation with the tribes who have called it home for countless generations. I applaud the Biden Administration for following the leadership of tribes and Members of Congress by designating the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument.”

The Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument will protect nearly 1 million acres of public lands surrounding the Grand Canyon – preserving the region’s rich cultural, ecological, scientific, historic, and scenic value.

Baaj nwaavjo means “where Indigenous peoples roam” in the Havasupai language, and i’tah kukveni means “our ancestral footprints” in the Hopi language. The name reflects the significance of the Grand Canyon area, not just to one, but to many Tribal Nations.

Earlier this year, Gallego joined Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ-03) to introduce legislation to provide a framework for the Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument. In previous Congresses, he was an original cosponsor of the Grand Canyon Protection Act which passed the House of Representatives with bipartisan support.

Additionally, Gallego led the Congressional effort to restore conservation protections for Bears Ears National Monument after the Trump Administration illegally slashed the size of the Monument in 2017. Following a letter from Members of Congress led by Gallego, President Biden restored Bears Ears National Monument in 2021.