PRESS RELEASE: Respect Great Bend coalition praises new legislation to protect cultural landscape

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 2, 2024

Respect Great Bend coalition praises new legislation to protect cultural landscape
The proposed Great Bend of the Gila National Monument would be co-stewarded by Arizona Tribes

WASHINGTON D.C.—Today, Arizona Representatives Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), joined by co-sponsors Jared Huffman (CA), André Carson (IN), Melanie Stansbury (NM), Dina Titus (NV), Earl Blumenauer (OR), and Joe Neguse (CO) introduced the Great Bend of the Gila National Monument Establishment Act to permanently protect a stretch of the Gila River Valley and surrounding desert between Phoenix and Yuma.

The Tribally supported monument would honor 13 Tribes’ cultural connections to the land; preserve remaining open space amid expanding development in the West Valley; protect critical wildlife habitat and migration corridors; and safeguard outdoor recreation spots that help support the region’s economy. Notably, the bill includes the creation of a Tribal Commission that would co-steward the 350,000+ acre monument alongside federal agencies and incorporate Traditional Ecological Knowledge into the management plan.

Tribes, local communities, business owners, faith leaders, archaeologists, conservationists, veterans, and elected officials have long been working to protect the Great Bend of the Gila, with protection efforts starting as early as the 1930s. Those efforts are more urgent than ever because of increased development, pernicious vandalism of petroglyphs, and recreational pressures from rapidly growing Phoenix and West Valley communities. If the new bill doesn’t pass, it would be up to President Biden, or the next President, to designate a national monument using their authority under the Antiquities Act. Conservation of public lands has widespread support in the state, with 87% of Arizonans backing the creation of new national monuments, among other designations, in a recent poll.

Members of the Respect Great Bend coalition responded to the bill introduction:

Skylar Begay, Respect Great Bend Co-Manager / Archaeology Southwest:
“Over the past three years, I have explored the Great Bend of the Gila, learned of the deep histories it holds, and spoken with many Tribal leaders and members about what this landscape means to them. These experiences have only strengthened my resolve to advocate for the protection of this incredible place. The Great Bend of the Gila’s value as an ancestral and cultural landscape means it is paramount that Tribes have the opportunity to co-manage a Great Bend of the Gila National Monument if it is to be protected in the right ways. Congressman Grijalva has our sincere gratitude for his unceasing support for permanent and proper protection of this extraordinary place, and I thank all the bill’s co-sponsors.”

Rev. Katie Sexton, Arizona Faith Network
“Indigenous Peoples have called the Great Bend of the Gila home for millennia. Their stories span thousands of years and remain visible in the dwellings, pottery, geoglyphs, and petroglyphs still present today. The Great Bend of the Gila National Monument Establishment Act, introduced by Representative Raúl M. Grijalva and co-sponsors, is a vital effort to protect these sacred lands. This legislation ensures Indigenous communities have a voice in managing and preserving their ancestral lands. The Arizona Faith Network fully supports this Act, recognizing our responsibility to safeguard God's creation for future generations.”

[full press release available here]

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Skylar Begay, Respect Great Bend Co-Manager, (520) 367-5338; skylar@archaeologysouthwest.org
Mike Quigley, Arizona State Director, The Wilderness Society, (520) 334-8741; mike_quigley@tws.org

INFORMATION + RESOURCES:

Press Release: Grijalva Introduces Bill to Establish New Great Bend of the Gila National Monument in Southern Arizona
Proposed Map
Photos and videos for media use

Learn more at www.respectgreatbend.org

###