Monumental SHIFT is following through with National Monument Endorsement Campaigns to carry the legacy of the Principles of Environmental Justice, and call on President Biden to use the Antiquities Act to fulfill his campaign promises to protect lands and address the climate crisis.
For too long, racially and ethnically diverse communities have been sidelined in the monument discussion. We are honoring our communities who believe in the sanctity of these lands by shifting historical inequities.
Current Monument Endorsement Campaigns
Avi Kwa Ame
Spirit Mountain, called Avi Kwa Ame by the Mojave Tribe, is a mountain within the Lake Mead National Recreation Area near Laughlin, Nevada. The entire area is considered sacred by ten Yuman speaking tribes as well as the Hopi and Chemehuevi Paiute. For the Yuman tribes, the area is tied to their creation, cosmology and well-being.
Castner Range
Castner Range is nestled within the Franklin Mountains in the majority-Latinx community of El Paso, Texas, best known by the locals for its annual display of blooming Mexican Yellow Poppies, and the range’s vast history and historical significance dating back thousands of years of Indigenous history.
The Monumental SHIFT coalition has intentionally set up an operations map and monument candidate endorsement and selection process to ensure that equity is fundamentally a part of the coalition’s work and not just a buzzword. Essentially, the coalition allows for anyone to submit a New Monument Endorsement Opportunity Form, after which the coalition will hear from organizers and community members working on-the-ground leading the work to protect the proposed site. Finally, the coalition takes a vote on whether to endorse the monument or not, ensuring that everyone has an equal voice in the collective decision.