(RightIsRight.co) – In a controversial last-minute move that further reflects the priorities of the outgoing administration, President Joe Biden has signed a proclamation to establish two new national monuments in California, marking an unprecedented embrace of Native American heritage.
See the tweet below!
This not only protects sacred lands but raises questions about Biden’s overarching environmental agenda.
Biden’s proclamation establishes the Chuckwalla National Monument in Southern California and the Sáttítla National Monument in Northern California, protecting a combined 800,000 acres from development, including drilling and mining.
This initiative aligns closely with Biden’s “America the Beautiful” plan, aiming to conserve 30% of public lands and waters by 2030.
The move also supports the administration’s climate change goals.
The Pit River Tribe and other Native American groups have long advocated for these designations, emphasizing the cultural importance of these lands.
The Chuckwalla National Monument, situated south of Joshua Tree National Park, offers protection to tribal cultural landscapes and military history sites.
The Fort Yuma Quechan Tribe expressed profound satisfaction with this recognition, viewing the stewardship opportunity as a step towards healing and restoration.
“The protection of the Chuckwalla National Monument brings the Quechan people an overwhelming sense of peace and joy. Tribes being reunited as stewards of this landscape is only the beginning of much-needed healing and restoration,” a tribal representative stated, cited by VOA.
In Northern California, the Sáttítla Highlands National Monument protects ancestral lands near Mount Shasta.
This designation prevents development including geothermal projects, safeguarding water resources and wildlife habitats.
Efforts to incorporate traditional ecological knowledge into monument stewardship demonstrate Biden’s commitment to cooperative management with tribal nations.
The Chuckwalla and Sáttítla monuments represent the latest additions to Biden’s growing list of conservation efforts.
They align with the larger Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan, promoting a balance of protection and development.
These recent actions mirror past expansions of the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary, where the Yurok Tribe became the first Native people to manage tribal land with the National Park Service.
“President Biden has now conserved more lands and waters than any President in history and has created the largest corridor of protected lands in the lower 48 states, the Moab to Mojave Conservation Corridor,” the White House said in a release.
Critics may argue that such expansive conservation measures are more about legacy building than sincere tribal respect.
Yet, the administration insists these efforts are vital to climate and cultural goals.
President Joe Biden is signing a proclamation to establish two new national monuments in California in part to honor two tribes https://t.co/qgXOOOJikb
— Test Profile (@AngaGergel82735) January 8, 2025
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