On Nevada trip, Haaland celebrates ‘new era’ of conservation
U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said Friday on a trip to Las Vegas that the newly designated Avi Kwa Ame National Monument in southern Nevada marks a new era of conservation
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland joined members of Nevada’s congressional delegation and tribal leaders on Friday to celebrate Avi Kwa Ame, the state’s newly designated national monument, saying the recognition of the desert mountain heralds a “new era” of environmental conservation in which the federal government and tribal nations will work together to maintain protected areas.
Haaland, the nation’s first Native American Cabinet member, said she visited Avi Kwa Ame on Friday to watch the sunrise and was moved by the desert mountain’s rich history.
“I was struck by the power and presence of the ancestors in tribal communities who have prayed on, protected and drawn strength from this special place for thousands of years,” Haaland said later in Las Vegas at a celebration attended by tribal leaders and members of Congress.
President Joe Biden established the monument last month, nearly a year to the day after U.S. Rep. Dina Titus, a Nevada Democrat, introduced legislation to permanently protect the desert mountain region considered sacred by some tribes.
The area stretches more than 500,000 acres (202,300 hectares) in southern Nevada and includes Spirit Mountain, a peak northwest of Laughlin called Avi Kwa Ame (ah-VEE’ kwa-meh) by the Fort Mojave Tribe and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Titus, in her remarks at the private Las Vegas event, described Avi Kwa Ame as a crown jewel. “It just doesn't get any better than that,” she said. “So we celebrate today on this gorgeous southern Nevada day all the things that Avi Kwa Ame means to the tribes.”
Tribal leaders in Arizona said earlier this week they hope to build on the momentum of Avi Kwa Ame's national monument designation to persuade the the Biden administration to create similar protections for areas adjacent to the Grand Canyon, which they also consider sacred.