After three decades of advocating, a sacred Indigenous site in Nevada has finally been honored as a national monument

Isaiah ReynoldsMar 31, 2023, 22:52 IST

Doug Michaels/Getty Images

For decades, the Indigenous tribes of Nevada have advocated for federal preservation of Spirit Mountain.
The mountain and surrounding areas have deep cultural roots, spiritual significance and biodiversity.

In a great stride for Indigenous land protections, President Biden has officially designated Avi Kwa Ame as a national monument.

Evan Vucci/AP

Spanning over 500,000 acres in the Mojave desert, the Avi Kwa Ame National Monument is one of the largest pieces of land protected during Biden's presidency.

Honor Avi Kwa Ame

The area is home to the Spirit Mountains, which 12 surrounding Indigenous tribes consider to be the origin of creation and tribal cosmology. According to the Yuman-speaking tribes that inhabit the desert, the mountain is "where ancient ancestors emerged into this world."

Within the desert are the Dead Mountains on the southern border, which also hold sacred importance and reflect "traditional cosmogony, delineate religious events, embody religious figures, and define burial places."

Petroglyphs drawn south of Spirit Mountain in Nevada.Penny Rogers Photography/Getty Images

Within the desert are the Dead Mountains on the southern border, which also hold sacred importance and reflect "traditional cosmogony, delineate religious events, embody religious figures, and define burial places."

The federal recognition follows decades of organizing from the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe, who reside predominantly on a reservation outside of the monument.

Mountain Range in Mojave Desert, southern Nevada and California.John Locher/AP

The decision for the monument, however, has sparked conversation about clean energy development in Nevada.

Alasdair Turner/Getty

In response, both the Bureau of Land Management and the Department of the Interior said they are working to delegate millions of acres for wind turbines and solar panels, identifying nearly 25 million acres of federal land eligible for alternative energy.

Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland at the White House Conservation in Action Summit at the U.S. Department of the Interior.Kevin Dietsch/Getty

In response, both the Bureau of Land Management and the Department of the Interior said they are working to delegate millions of acres for wind turbines and solar panels, identifying nearly 25 million acres of federal land eligible for alternative energy.

For the surrounding Yuman-speaking tribes of Nevada, this federal recognition signals greater collaboration with Indigenous communities and opportunity for necessary protections.

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After three decades of advocating, a sacred Indigenous site in Nevada has finally been honored as a national monument

In a great stride for Indigenous land protections, President Biden has officially designated Avi Kwa Ame as a national monument.

Spanning over 500,000 acres in the Mojave desert, the Avi Kwa Ame National Monument is one of the largest pieces of land protected during Biden's presidency.

The area is home to the Spirit Mountains, which 12 surrounding Indigenous tribes consider to be the origin of creation and tribal cosmology. According to the Yuman-speaking tribes that inhabit the desert, the mountain is "where ancient ancestors emerged into this world."

Within the desert are the Dead Mountains on the southern border, which also hold sacred importance and reflect "traditional cosmogony, delineate religious events, embody religious figures, and define burial places."

The federal recognition follows decades of organizing from the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe, who reside predominantly on a reservation outside of the monument.

The decision for the monument, however, has sparked conversation about clean energy development in Nevada.

In response, both the Bureau of Land Management and the Department of the Interior said they are working to delegate millions of acres for wind turbines and solar panels, identifying nearly 25 million acres of federal land eligible for alternative energy.

For the surrounding Yuman-speaking tribes of Nevada, this federal recognition signals greater collaboration with Indigenous communities and opportunity for necessary protections.