Tuleyome Praises President Biden for Designation of Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument

Tribal and community leaders and elected officials have united behind the effort to protect the area along the eastern edge of the existing Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument known as Molok Luyuk. Molok Luyuk is Patwin for “Condor Ridge” and is a name provided by the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation.

The expansion of the national monument would safeguard public lands that are sacred to the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation and are critically important to protect in the face of a changing climate.

Sandra Schubert, Executive Director of Tuleyome, issued this statement:

“Tuleyome is thrilled to hear that President Biden has protected significant public lands by designating the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument in Arizona. We thank President Biden for preserving these critical cultural and natural landscapes.

We urge President Biden to use his authority from the Antiquities Act to expand Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument in Northern California to include Molok Loyuk. The Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation’s connection to this area stretches back thousands of years. The land is of tremendous present-day cultural and religious importance to the Tribe and includes sites central to their origin stories. They have advocated for the protection of these lands, a return to an Indigenous name, and the establishment of co-management with federally recognized Tribes.

The region is home to unique geology, a great diversity of plants and animals, and a habitat for imperiled wildlife. The area is also popular for recreation including hiking, sightseeing, mountain biking, camping, horseback riding, and off-highway vehicle (OHV) use on designated routes. The expansion of Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument would help improve access to the outdoors for the region’s residents and visitors alike.”

Representatives John Garamendi and Mike Thompson and Senators Alex Padilla and Dianne Feinstein have joined Tribal and community leaders in supporting all approaches, including the President’s use of the Antiquities Act, to permanently protect Molok Loyuk as part of the National Monument. They have also championed legislation to protect the area. The Antiquities Act is a 1906 law that grants presidents the ability to designate federal public lands, waters, and cultural and historical sites as national monuments to permanently conserve them.

To learn more about this effort and to sign a petition in support of the expansion of the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, visit www.expandberryessa.org.