Albuquerque, New Mexico (December 27, 2020) -- Following the holiday at Petroglyph National Monument, a Navajo and Oneida man named Darrell House was repeatedly tased by a National Park Service ranger for stepping off-trail to maintain social distancing protocols when he noticed a crowd walking in his direction.
The site plays an important role for Indigenous people, and was designated after Native American activists sought to protect the stone carvings from vandalism and land development. House visited the national monument to pray before the petroglyphs, and to collect earth for ceremonies.
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This month we’re celebrating the 112th anniversary of the Antiquities Act, a law enacted and first used by President Theodore Roosevelt. Sixteen presidents (8 Republicans and 8 Democrats) have taken action to preserve our American heritage by designating places of cultural and historical significance as national monuments—places such as the Grand Canyon, the Statue of Liberty, César E. Chávez National Monument, Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, Organ Mountains Desert Peaks National Monument and the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument.
As we recognize this legacy of preserving these places that has lasted well over a century, we joined up with the new group Artemis Sportswomen for a conversation with two New Mexicans active in conservation. Max Trujillo from HECHO and Christine Gonzales from Artemis were kind enough to hop on the phone and share their experiences with public lands and conservation and reflect on the importance of why we protect the places we love.
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ACTION ALERT: On Tuesday, January 30 at 2pm ET, the House Natural Resources Committee will have a hearing on H.R. 4532 – a bill which WOULD ELIMINATE BEARS EARS NATIONAL MONUMENT. Please join HECHO in standing with the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Commission's five sovereign tribal nations, including the Navajo Nation, the Hopi Tribe, the Pueblo of Zuni, the Ute Tribe, and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, in saying NO TO H.R. 4532.
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HECHO condemns yesterday's announcement by President Trump that he intends to roll back protections of more public lands than ever before in our history by reducing Utah’s Bears Ears National Monument by 85% and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument by half.
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Read what Utah State Representative and HECHO Board Member Rebecca Chavez-Houck had to say about President Trump's upcoming visit to Utah, and plans to shrink our beloved National Monuments. This article originally appeared as an op-ed in Utah's Deseret News on November 23, 2017.
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HECHO (Hispanics Enjoying Camping, Hunting and the Outdoors) eagerly awaits the public release of Secretary Zinke’s report detailing his recommendations to change a handful of monuments. Which monuments will be reduced in size and by how much is unclear, as the Administration has yet to release the full report to the public.
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ACTION ALERT: Let Secretary Zinke know you that you support keeping Bears Ears National Monument in place. Take 5 minutes to submit your comments online...
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The Next 100 Coalition urges the Administration and Congress to use this review to consider what additional designations are necessary to fill in missing elements of our national narrative, as well as represent a future that respects all cultures and engages all people.
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America's National Parks Service recently celebrated its centennial and Secretary Sally Jewell laid out her vision of the next 100 years of American Conservation in her speech commemorating the event. In a letter to Secretary Jewell, HECHO voiced its support of her vision, including promoting landscape-level planning and increasing diverse stakeholder input when managing public lands, supporting the protection of our national treasures through the Antiquities Act, and emphasizing the importance of permanently authorizing and fully funding the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
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Engaging people in our rich history not only protects Hispanic culture, it also reminds people of the important role the community has played in this country’s evolution and often inspires them to get more involved in activities that help strengthen our communities.
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Seeing the wide-eyed faces of those kids and hearing their questions reinforced why I was there. I can be a part of shaping policy that affects our land, air and water, and that will ensure these kids have years of outdoor experience to look forward to.
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HECHO joins many grateful organizations and communities in thanking President Obama for taking action to designate Browns Canyon as the newest National Monument in Colorado. Latino families and our communities have been using and enjoying the Browns Canyon area for generations. For too long, we have witnessed extractive industries such as oil, gas, and mineral development, as well as urban growth, mar the landscapes, pollute watersheds and affect the wildlife that have sustained us for generations.
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National Monuments are about the entire nation's legacy in all its human history and biodiversity. They are memories and living places we hold in trust for the future. We must now protect the Antiquities Act.
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