FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 8, 2023
Contact: Will Pregman, wpregman@battlebornprogress.org, 702.752.0656
Nevada Monument Coalition Statement on Avi Kwa Ame Designation Delay
NEVADA – In response to updated news that President Joe Biden will not be issuing a designation of the proposed Avi Kwa Ame National Monument while in Nevada next week, local organizations supporting the monument, comprising the Honor Avi Kwa Ame coalition, issued the following statement:
“Of course, we are disappointed to learn that President Biden will not be able to fit the designation of Avi Kwa Ame into his travel itinerary next week. Since President Biden made a commitment at last fall’s Tribal Nations Summit to protect this culturally and ecologically significant landscape in Southern Nevada, we, along with the Tribes who consider this region to be sacred and tied to their ancestral history, have been eagerly anticipating news from the White House on the timing of when this designation will take place. President Biden has been a champion of protecting the nation’s lands and waters in this regard, and we remain confident and assured that he and his administration will move forward with this monument designation in due time.
That being said, we will continue to urge his administration to act quickly to honor his commitment, and finalize this monument on behalf of the Yuman-speaking Indigenous Tribes who have organized for decades to achieve federal protection of this territory. We also call upon members of Nevada’s congressional delegation to actively work with the White House on a plan for the designation of Avi Kwa Ame, that is both timely, and adequately honors the Tribal leaders who have been central to leading this effort. Our coalition has no preference on the exact location or logistics of a designation ceremony, besides the recognition and presence of those Tribal leaders. We will be eagerly awaiting further announcements and information from the White House and our congressional delegation.”
About Honor Avi Kwa Ame: A coalition of tribes, local Searchlight, Boulder City and Laughlin residents, the Nevada Legislature, conservation groups, recreation interests, and others are working to establish the Avi Kwa Ame National Monument to permanently protect these treasured lands. Avi Kwa Ame is the Mojave name for Spirit Mountain and the surrounding landscape. The mountain, located on the eastern boundary of the proposed monument, and the surrounding landscape are sacred to twelve Native American tribes.
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 hundreds of thousands of 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
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