Biden postpones California event creating new national monuments protecting tribal lands

LOS ANGELES - President Joe Biden was in Southern California early this week to announce the creation of two new national monuments honoring tribal lands.

However, the event was postponed due to a powerful wind event. 

"Today’s event will be rescheduled for next week at the White House so that key stakeholders can attend," the White House said in a statement.

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Biden and first lady Jill Biden touched down at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) after meeting with "families and community members impacted" by the New Year's terror attack on Bourbon Street that left 15 people dead and dozens more injured, according to the White House.

The Bidens arrived in Los Angeles late Monday night. The president was set to visit the eastern Coachella Valley on Tuesday.

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Biden remains prepared to sign a proclamation that would establish a Chuckwalla National Monument south of Joshua Tree National Park, making drilling, mining and other energy- and industrial-related activity illegal in the area. The paper reported that Biden will also make a similar proclamation for land surrounding the Sáttítla National Monument in Northern California.

Having previously advocated in Washington, D.C., for Biden to issue such a designation, Southern California tribal leaders spoke in October about their desire to protect the homelands of the Iviatim, Nüwü, Pipa Aha Macav, Kwatsáan and Maara'yam peoples, also known as the Cahuilla, Chemehuevi, Mohave (CRIT Mohave), Quechan and Serrano nations.

The tribal leaders proposed a monument that would encompass approximately 627,000 acres of public lands, as well as protect approximately 17,000 additional acres in the Eagle Mountains.

Advocates said it would also "protect important heritage values tied to the land, such as multi-use trail systems established by Indigenous peoples and sacred sites," in addition to further recognizing tribal sovereignty and allow new ways for tribes to co-steward their homelands with federal agencies.

They said added protections for public lands would increase equitability in accessing the natural parts of the eastern Coachella Valley and surrounding areas, such as Mecca's Painted Canyon trail and the Bradshaw Trail in southeastern Riverside County.

As outlined, the potential monument holds spiritual significance and contains natural resources sustaining multiple Indigenous peoples.

The organization Protect Chuckwalla cited the proposal as complementary to the developmental Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan. Monument boundaries were drawn not to interfere with areas the DRECP focused on as "suitable for renewable energy development," with the DRECP in turn identifying parts of the lands in the eastern Coachella Valley as necessary for biological conservation.

The idea also has support from tribal leaders and representatives, at least eight city governments in the Coachella Valley and more than 225 local businesses and establishments.

"For the Quechan people, a national monument designation status for the land means preserving the lifeways, culture, stories and teachings that connect us to our past, present and future," said Donald Medart Jr. of the Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe Council. "We're calling on President Biden to help us continue to share the beauty of these places that our ancestors entrusted us to steward by indefinitely protecting them."

More information about the campaign to establish Chuckwalla National Monument can be found at protectchuckwalla.org.