Coverage of tribal natural resources is supported in part by Catena Foundation
Southern Arizona may soon have a new national monument if legislation introduced recently passes.
Congressman Raúl Grijalva’s bill would designate nearly 400,000 acres of land near Gila Bend. It would be known as the Great Bend of the Gila National Monument.
The bill will form a tribal commission to prioritize tribal co-stewardship of the land. The river valley and desert has been home to Indigenous communities for thousands of years.
The bill is supported by numerous tribes, including the Salt River-Pima Maricopa Indian Community, the Tohono O’odham Nation, and the Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe.
