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“The protection of the Chuckwalla National Monument brings the Quechan people an overwhelming sense of peace and joy. Tribes being reunited as stewards of this landscape is only the beginning of much-needed healing and restoration, and we are eager to fully rebuild our relationship to this place. This action is part of a greater movement around the country to reconnect Tribes to their ancestral homelands whilst ensuring they have the authority to guide management decisions with federal and state agencies.
We, along with our sister Tribes, are dedicated to taking our spirit back, culture back, language back, and land back. This national monument designation cements into history our solidarity and collective vision for our peoples. While we celebrate, we also hold the truth that there is still much work to do to fully re-immerse ourselves as stewards within this ecosystem. The essence of who we are lies in the landscapes of Chuckwalla and Avi Kwa Ame. Every trail, every living being, and every story in these places is connected to a rich history and heritage that runs in our DNA. That is why we look forward to the day when we can celebrate adding the proposed Kw’tsán National Monument for protection, as well.
Our Tribe believes that this effort is proof that Together We Progress. We extend a hand of immense gratitude to the Biden Administration, to our allies, partners, and communities that showed up to protect the Chuckwalla region. We thank you on behalf of the generations of today and for all our relations that will look after this land in the future.”
Lycia Ortega, lycia@tbirdstrategic.com
