Ian Brickey, ian.brickey@sierraclub.org
LAS VEGAS -- Today, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland traveled to southern Nevada to meet with the Tribal Council of the Mojave Tribe and local community leaders, including stops at sites considered sacred by several Tribes. One of the sites visited by Secretary Haaland, Rep. Susie Lee, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Laura Daniels-Davis, and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Nevada State Director Jon Raby, was Spirit Mountain, which is called Avi Kwa Ame by the Mojave Tribe. For the Yuman speaking tribes, the area is tied to their creation, cosmology, and well-being.
Avi Kwa Ame was designated a Traditional Cultural Property on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999 in recognition of its religious and cultural importance.
In response, Christian Gerlach, organizing representative for Sierra Club’s Our Wild America campaign, released the following statement:
“We are pleased that Secretary Haaland made a point of visiting Avi Kwa Ame and seeing in person the landscapes that help define Spirit Mountain.
“The Biden Administration has set the goal of protecting 30% of lands and waters by 2030 to mitigate the worst effects of the climate crisis. Permanently protecting Avi Kwa Ame through the president’s powers under the Antiquities Act gets us closer to achieving that goal.
“Designating Avi Kwa Ame as a national monument would protect fragile desert ecology, provide vulnerable species with critical habitat corridors, preserve access to the outdoors for many communities, and preserve the rich cultural landscape central to the spiritual beliefs of the Mojave, Southern Paiute, and other indigenous peoples."
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.