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Indio, Calif. (June 15, 2024) – Yesterday, Deputy Interior Secretary Laura Davis-Daniels and Bureau of Land Management Director Tracy Stone-Manning took comments and listened to hours of testimony about the proposed Chuckwalla National Monument and Joshua Tree National Park expansion, which sits adjacent to the proposed Kw’tsán National Monument in southern California near the Arizona border.

Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribal Council Members expressed their support for the monument proposal in solidarity with Tribal representatives from Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, Cahuilla Band of Indians, Colorado River Indian Tribes, Morongo Band of Indians, and Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Indians. The Quechan Tribal Council expresses gratitude to all of the desert communities, public officials, stakeholders, scientists, recreationists and conservation organizations who provided comments in support of the monument and park expansion. This event was accompanied by separate sovereign government-to-government meetings with agency staff.  

The following statement was released by Donald Medart Jr.,Quechan Tribal Councilman in support of the meeting and growing support for monument protections:

“It is critically important that those with the decision-making power to protect places like Chuckwalla hear directly from those whose entire culture is rooted in the air and the soil. These are the places we will continue to take our children and grandchildren to learn about who we are as a people - these are places that do not recognize boundaries on a map and are connected by history and our stories.

As the Biden Administration learns more about this region and looks to protect these cherished lands, we hope they will also turn their attention just to the East - to a place connected by Tribal history, by people, by wildlife, and by water - and take action to help protect the proposed Kw'tsán National Monument, too. While these monuments may host unique names, the stories they hold are connected.

On Monday, a California state senate committee is poised to vote on a resolution in support of Kw'tsán as well, after voting in favor of a similar resolution for Chuckwalla this past week. I will be in attendance at Monday's hearing and all of these discussions and public support are encouraging to our Tribe who has fought relentlessly for decades to protect these lands.” 

To watch Monday’s hearing live, please visit: https://sntr.senate.ca.gov/committeehome