Washington, D.C. — A new analysis from the Center for American Progress calls on President Joe Biden to formally designate a national monument at Avi Kwa Ame, a move that would help the administration meet its commitment to protect 30 percent of U.S. lands and waters by 2030.
Designating this area as a national monument would honor ancient sacred lands; conserve ecologically important sites; and help close the nature gap by increasing access to protected lands for nature-deprived communities in the greater Las Vegas area.
The new analysis shows that 93 percent of people of color around Avi Kwa Ame are nature deprived, making them nearly twice as likely to be nature deprived than white communities living in the same area. This analysis of the 25-mile radius around Avi Kwa Ame found that communities of color in the greater Las Vegas area experience heightened nature deprivation, even while surrounded by other public lands in the region.
The area is considered sacred to 10 Yuman-speaking Tribes, as Avi Kwa Ame sits at the center of human origin and is a sacred creation site connected to their stories and ancestors.
Last year, President Biden committed to protecting the site at the White House Tribal Nations Summit. Now it’s time for him to follow through on that pledge.
Read the analysis: “Protecting Avi Kwa Ame as a National Monument Would Honor Tribes and Increase Access to Nature” by Sam Zeno
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Sam Hananel at [email protected].