Biden Vows Commitment to Protecting Sacred Site for Tribes in Nevada

President Joe Biden announced his administration is committed to protecting Avi Kwa Ame, or Spirit Mountain, in Nevada.

The president made the announcement during the White House’s first in-person Tribal Nations Summit Wednesday.

“On my watch, we’re ushering in a new era and advancing a way for the federal government to work for tribal nations,” Biden said.

He added, “When it comes to Spirit Mountain and the surrounding ridges and canyons in southern Nevada, I’m committed to protecting this sacred place that is central to the creation story of so many tribes that are here today.”

Watch Biden’s remarks below:

A senior administration official previously told The Washington Post Biden would commit to protecting Spirit Mountain, a 5,642-foot-high peak, located in Nevada.

The Post noted the transformation of the area between California and Arizona is likely to “rank as the largest act of land conservation that Biden will undertake this term.”

Neal Desai, a senior project manager for the National Parks Conservation Association, told the Post, “This is the missing link connecting the Mojave Desert and the Colorado Plateau.”

The Post pointed out, for the Fort Mojave and 11 other tribes, the rocks serve as the site from which their ancestors came from.

“There’s a spiritual connection that makes us Mojave people,” Tim Williams, chairman of the tribal council, said. “If it’s not protected, our generation will not have done our job.”

Rep. Susie Lee (D-Nev.) praised the move on Twitter.

“Sacred lands require historic action. Today, with the President’s commitment, we are one step closer to protecting Avi Kwa Ame as a national monument. I look forward to continuing to work with this administration to make this happen,” Lee wrote.

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, the first indigenous cabinet secretary, also issued a statement on the matter.

“Avi Kwa Ame holds deep spiritual and historic significance to the Native people who have stewarded these lands since time immemorial,” Haaland said.

She added, “I am thrilled that President Biden is committed to protecting this sacred place, and honor the many years of work of the Tribes and local community to safeguard the integrity of the historic and cultural landscape and the many objects of significance within it.”

The Hill noted environmentalists have called for a national monument designation.

The designation would prohibit development on roughly 450,000 acres surrounding the mountain, as the outlet noted.