Interfaith Call to Action: Protect the Sacred Lands of the Great Bend of the Gila

President Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear President Biden,

As people of faith, we are united in our commitment to protecting and preserving the sacred lands that hold deep spiritual, cultural, and historical significance to Indigenous communities and our nation. We write to you today to express our strong support for protecting the Great Bend of the Gila. This area embodies the rich heritage and enduring legacy of the Indigenous Peoples who have called it home for millennia.

For thousands of years, the Great Bend of the Gila has been a place of profound spiritual and cultural importance. The stories of the Indigenous Peoples are etched into the land through dwellings, pottery, geoglyphs, and petroglyphs that remain as testaments to their enduring presence and contributions. At least 13 federally recognized Tribes maintain cultural, historical, and ancestral ties to the Great Bend of the Gila, including members of the Ak-Chin Indian Community, Cocopah Indian Tribe, Colorado River Indian Tribes, Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, Fort Mojave Indian Tribe, Fort Yuma-Quechan Indian Tribe, Gila River Indian Community, Hopi Tribe, Pueblo of Zuni, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, Tohono O’odham Nation, Yavapai-Apache Nation, and Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe.

We respectfully request that you utilize the authority granted under the Antiquities Act to designate the Great Bend of the Gila as a National Monument. Such a designation would ensure permanent protection and recognize the critical role Tribes have in the future of these lands. This designation would also create a Tribal commission to help ensure that Tribal communities have a strong voice in how this land and their legacies on it are managed in perpetuity.

The Antiquities Act has a long and honorable history of preserving America’s most treasured landscapes and historical sites. By designating the Great Bend of the Gila as a National Monument, you will protect a vital piece of our nation’sheritage and promote healing and justice for the Indigenous communities who have long advocated for the recognition and preservation of their sacred sites.

Protecting the Great Bend of the Gila is also critical to the survival of the region’s wildlife. The Sonoran Desert ranks number one in biodiversity among the deserts of the United States, and this is on full display in the Great Bend of the Gila. Iconic species such as Gila monsters, Desert bighorn sheep, and endangered Sonoran pronghorn require large, connected landscapes to survive. As urban development fragments habitat and climate change alters the Sonoran Desert'secological functioning, safeguarding this landscape is essential for the future of Arizona’s wildlife.

Regional population growth tied to the metropolitan Phoenix area is forcing the conversion of natural open spaces to subdivisions. Combined with the pressures of climate-driven desertification, the Gila River corridor and surrounding lands face an uncertain future. Cultural resources in the Great Bend of the Gila have already suffered irreparable damage from vandals. Establishing a National Monument can help ensure that this culturally rich landscape is managed correctly and further protected, preventing the thoughtless destruction of archaeological sites.

As people of faith, we believe that we are called to be stewards of God’s creation, to protect and care for the earth and its sacred places. The Great Bend of the Gila is a sacred place that deserves our utmost respect and protection. The Hebrew Scriptures remind us, "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it" (Psalm 24:1). In the Christian tradition, we are called to "act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God" (Micah 6:8), which includes caring for creation. Similarly, the Qur'an teaches, "It is He who has made you successors upon the earth" (Qur'an 35:39), entrusting us with its care.

We are committed to standing with the Indigenous communities in their efforts to safeguard this irreplaceable landscape for future generations. We urge you to take immediate action to protect the Great Bend of the Gila by designating it as a National Monument under the Antiquities Act. In doing so, you will ensure that this sacred land is preserved and honored as it rightfully deserves.

Thank you for your consideration and leadership in preserving our nation’s sacred lands.

Respectfully Submitted By,

Bhikkhu Vasu Bandhu, Zen Buddhist Monk, Gilbert

Canon Lisa Derrick, Episcopal Church, Phoenix

Dr. Mary Dawes, Unitarian Universalism, Tucson

Hon. Halsy Taylor, Tucson

Reverend Amy Barron-Gafford, United Methodist Church,

Reverend Bart Smith, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Tucson

Reverend Beth Rambikur, United Methodist Church

Reverend Bethany Russell-Lowe, Unitarian Universalism

Reverend Dr. Eric Ledermann, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Chandler

Reverend Dr. Jay Hartley, Christian Church in Arizona, Tucson

Reverend Dr. Thomas Martinez, United Church of Christ, Tempe

Reverend ellie hutchison, Fellowship of Affirming Ministires, Tucson

Reverend Gerald Richard III, Esq., African Methodist Episocpal, Tucson

Reverend Kate Lehman, Ecumenical Catholic Communion, Glendale

Reverend Katie Louise Sexton, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) , Glendale

Reverend Patricia Thompson, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Surprise

Reverend Susan Valiquette, United Church of Christ, Phoenix

Reverend Towanda NT Connelly, United Methodist Church, Phoenix

Reverend Christine Dance, Unitarian Universalism, Paradise Valley

Sister Lydia Armenta, Catholic - Independent, Phoenix

Alan Brundage, Progressive Christian,

Alicia Kenney

Amee Beck, Unity, Mesa

Amy Donohue, Phoenix

Ann Connolly, Catholic - Independent, Tempe

Anne Yarwood, Barrington

Beth Lederman

Betsy Tait, Christian

Betsy Tatlock, Cave Creek

Bill Ford, Roman Catholic Church, Buckeye

Brian Flatgard, Lutheran

Carol Engle, United Church of Christ

Carolyn Quinn, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Phx

Char Hoffman, Catholic - Independent

Cindy Guenthner, Glendale

Connie Youmans, Phoenix

David Bales

David Topping, United Methodist Church, Tempe

Debbie Pallack, United Methodist Church, Yuma

Deborah Livingston, Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), Tucson

Denise Jurgens, United Church of Christ,

Dick Nye, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Maicopa

Doralee Ewing, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Tempe

Dorothy Wellington, Phoenix

Dot Himes, Roman Catholic Church, Cortez

Emily Saeteurn, Peoria

Gail Bird, United Church of Christ, Mesa

Giulio Grecchi

Grace Marks

Greg Olszta, AZ Poor People's Campaign, San Tan Valley

Gretchen Reinhardt, Religious Society of Friends (Quaker), Tempe

Holly Nipperus, Phoenix

J. Vasquez, Phoenix

Jana Sundin, Episcopal Church, Phoenix

Jens Larson, Baha'i, Phoenix

Joan Brundage, United Church of Christ

Joan Fenton, Phoenix

John Lewis, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Scottsdale

Jovita Fine, Prescott

Joyce Suggs, United Church of Christ, Phoenix

Julie Boston, Christian, Mesa

Karen Nye, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Maicopa

Kate Kosse, United Methodist Church, Marana

Kay Klinkenborg, United Church of Christ, Sun City

Kimberly Redhage, Scottsdale

Lesley Glueck Johnston, Christian - Non-denominational, Scottsdale

Linda S Sexton, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Glendale

Linda Stenholm, Unitarian Universalism, Tempe

Margaret Lauder, Roman Catholic Church, Phoenix

Margaret McChesney, Catholic - Independent, Phoenix

Mary Crawford, Roman Catholic Church, Mesa

Mason Marks, Judaism (Reform), Phoenix

Melanie Beikman, Arizona Interfaith Power and Light, Tempe

Melanie Hobden, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Phoenix

Michael Powell, Sun City

Michael Tarek, Phoenix

Michele Phillips, Episcopal Church, Carefree

Nanalee Raphael, Episcopal Church,

Nancy Hoober, Tempe

Nancy Meister, Yuma

Philip Shea, Lutheran, Phoenix

Polly Mitchell-Guthrie, Episcopal Church

Rebecca Dickinson

Reverend Bekah Krevens, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Glendale

Reverend Ferzin Irani, Sufism, Phoenix

Ruth Wootten, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Tempe

Sally Rings, Unitarian Universalism, Phoenix

Samantha Torre, Scottsdale

Sandra Schable, Lutheran, Benson

Sandra Schable, United Methodist Church, Benson

Sandra Tarpinian

Sarah M Wolfe, Roman Catholic Church, Scottsdale

Sat Bir Kaur Khalsa, Sikhi, Tucson

Seth Dyson, Roman Catholic Church, Surprise

Sharon Konen, Sun City West

Shirin McArthur, Episcopal Church, Marana

Shirley Lowman, Roman Catholic Church, Phoenix

Solveig Muus, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Phoenix

Suzanne Boisclair, Sun City

Suzanne Hesh, Tucson