• USA

Washington, Aug 13 (EFE).-

Leaders of five California Indigenous tribes visited Washington this week to urge President Joe Biden to designate Chuckwalla, a desert area with hundreds of animal and plant species, as a National Monument.

This is not the first time the tribes have made this request to the US government, but the need to resolve the issue has become more urgent as the Nov. 5 election approaches and a victory by former President and Republican nominee Donald Trump (2017-2021) seems likely.

“We want to ensure that Biden signs the order and adds this to his legacy,” Altrena Santillanes, a representative of the Cahuilla Indigenous people, told EFE on Tuesday.

Chuckwalla is home to the Iviatim, Nüwü, Pipa Aha Macav, Kwatsáan, and Maara’yam tribes, also known as the Cahuilla, Chemehuevi, Mohave, Quechan, and Serrano. National Monument status would help protect the 627,000-acre area.

“As tribal leaders, we are always looking forward. It would help preserve our ancestral ties. How will new generations know their history if they cannot return to this land and see what our ancestors left behind?” Santillanes added.

National Monuments can be established either by an act of Congress or by presidential order under the Antiquities Act of 1906, which protects historic or prehistoric remains or other antiquities on federal lands and provides penalties for their destruction or unauthorized use.

According to the National Parks Conservation Association, the main difference with a National Park is that the latter traditionally covers larger areas with richer natural resources.

The group seeking to establish Chuckwalla as a National Monument is meeting with members of Congress in Washington this week and also plans to meet with White House staff.

This is an urgent matter. There has been damage to cultural property and tribal resources affecting tribal peoples, including the degradation of biodiversity,” highlighted Cassaundra Pino, a manager at the Native American Land Conservancy organization.

These tribes are also struggling with “the threat of the climate crisis,” and protecting desert ecosystems like Chuckwalla “is an essential part of addressing this issue,” the expert told EFE.

The proposed national monument is located south of Joshua Tree National Park. Popular trails and landmarks that would be protected as part of the monument include Painted Canyon and Box Canyon in the Mecca Hills area, the Corn Springs Campground, and Bradshaw Trail.

Named after a desert reptile native to the area, supporters say the land is a haven for a wide range of wildlife.

The request was supported by 24 lawmakers, including Alex Padilla and Raul Ruiz.

Biden, who is not seeking re-election in November, has designated five new national monuments and expanded two since taking office in 2021, protecting about 1.6 million acres of public land, according to his administration. EFE

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