President Biden is announcing a new national monument in Arizona targeted at protecting Native American sacred sites that spans nearly a million acres of federally-owned land.
Context:
Only one tribe, the Havasupai, actually lives within the Grand Canyon and has been advocating for land protection for decades, especially after President Obama put a 20-year ban on new uranium mines in 2012.
The Havasupai argue that uranium mining endangers their only water source, Havasu Creek, and by extension, their survival and their sacred sites.
The Uranium Mining situation:
* Currently, no active uranium mining is taking place in the area, and there is only one existing mine on the brink of opening.
* The uranium industry, however, has opposed mining restrictions for years, arguing that they can mine with minimal environmental impact.
* Curtis Moore from Energy Fuels Resources argued there is no evidence that mining will contaminate groundwater, emphasizing the importance of developing domestic uranium because nearly half of all U.S. nuclear fuel currently comes from Russia and former Soviet republics.
Biden Administration Response:
* The Biden administration, including Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, the nation’s first Indigenous Cabinet member, has been receptive to the concerns of Native tribes.
* The proposed monument aligns closely with what the Grand Canyon Tribal Coalition has requested.
* The White House pointed out that less than 2% of U.S.’s known uranium reserves are on the land belonging to the new monument, suggesting there is ample availability of uranium elsewhere.
The New Monument and its Importance:
* Named “Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni”, a name drawn from the Havasupai and Hopi languages, translates to “where Indigenous peoples roam” and “our ancestral footprints.”
* It’s the third monument President Biden has dedicated specifically to protecting land culturally significant to Indigenous Americans.
* The new monument will protect both the Grand Canyon’s north and south rims, encompassing a diverse range of landscapes.
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