Grijalva pushes for creation of Great Bend of the Gila National Monument in southern Arizona

To protect more than 370,000 acres of the Great Bend of the Gila and Sonoran Desert Landscape, a Democratic congressman from Tucson has introduced legislation to establish a new national monument in southern Arizona.

“The Great Bend of the Gila is a sacred place rich with history and deeply significant to all the communities connected to it,” U.S. Rep Raúl M. Grijalva said in a press release. 

Grijalva, a ranking member on the House Natural Resources Committee, introduced the Great Bend of the Gila National Monument Establishment Act this month to protect the cultural, historical, archeological, and natural resources across the Great Bend of the Gila and Sonoran Desert.

The proposed monument consists of 376,963 acres of land administered by the Bureau of Land Management in Arizona. The act will permanently ban the withdrawal of mineral extraction from lands within the monument. Existing grazing leases and permits will not be affected.

“The Great Bend of the Gila National Monument would expand the legacy of the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Commission and the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon Commission by elevating tribal perspectives in the ongoing management of this treasured landscape,” Grijalva added, referring to recent national monuments created in Utah and Arizona.

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The Great Bend of the Gila is home to significant cultural, historical, archeological and natural resources, and at least 13 federally recognized tribes maintain cultural and ancestral connections to the region. 

“The Great Bend represents our lives past and present. It stands as a living library and monument still in existence,” Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe Tribal Council Member Gloria L. McGee said in a written statement. “It contains sites that are in danger of destruction unless priority is given to preservation of the area for future generations.” 

The bill states that the purpose of the national monument is to protect and restore these resources for present and future generations.

“I am proud to stand alongside the tribes and honor their years of dedication to preserving the cultural, historic, and natural heritage of this magnificent landscape by introducing this legislation,” Grijalva said.

If the monument is established, the act calls for tribes to have co-stewardship. The bill states that the Interior secretary would be required to consult with interested tribal nations regarding the management of the monument, including ensuring that the management decisions affecting it are informed by and reflect tribal expertise and traditional ecological knowledge.

“Bringing tribal voices to the forefront of land management is not just a moral imperative — it is key to ensuring that our natural legacy can be protected for generations to come,” Grijalva said.

The Interior secretary would have to establish a tribal commission to provide guidance and recommendations on developing and implementing a management plan and policies for the national monument. The commission would consist of one representative from each of the interested tribes.

Multiple tribes, including the Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe, Tohono O’odham Nation and Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe, support the bill.

“The Tohono O’odham Nation and other tribes have deep cultural and religious connections to the Great Bend of the Gila stretching back to time immemorial,” Tohono O’odham Chairman Verlon Jose said in a written statement. 

“This bill also ensures that tribes continue to have a voice in the future of these lands and how they will be protected in the years to come,” Jose said. “The Tohono O’odham Nation urges passage of this important bill that will safeguard a vital part of America’s Indigenous and environmental heritage.” 

In a letter of support for the monument, the Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe stated that it supports the legislation because of the tribe’s traditional and cultural connections to the area since time immemorial. 

“The rock writings and geoglyphs included in the proposed monument area tell of the ancient First Yavapai People, who lived and walked in these lands,” Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe President Robert Ogo said in the letter of support.

“They tell of sacred areas where Yavapai First Leaders’ remains are located and the history of the mountains and trails that were used from the time of the first humans through the Spanish Conquest,” he added.

The 13 federally recognized tribes with ties to the region include the Ak-Chin Indian Community, Cocopah Indian Tribe, Colorado River Indian Tribes, Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, Fort Mojave Indian Tribe, the Fort Yuma-Quechan Indian Tribe, Gila River Indian Community, Hopi Tribe, Pueblo of Zuni, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, Tohono O’odham Nation, Yavapai-Apache Nation, and Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe.