COACHELLA, CA — The Ft. Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe, Cahuilla Band of Indians, Colorado River Indian Tribes, and Chemehuevi Indian Tribe, along with the National Congress of American Indians sent a joint letter to the Trump administration and Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, underscoring the cultural significance and their strong support of Chuckwalla National Monument. The letter highlights the goal of Tribes to co-steward the monument and urges the Trump administration to refrain from taking any actions associated with the Chuckwalla National Monument, particularly without appropriate tribal consultation.

Read the full letter from the Tribes below:

“The undersigned Tribal Nations and the National Congress of American Indians, a national intertribal government organization, strongly support the Chuckwalla National Monument and collectively led the effort to its establishment in early 2025. The associated tribal councils took formal action to support the initiative and are working alongside others to develop co-stewardship plans for its management. We aim to partner with the Department of the Interior on developments associated with Chuckwalla National Monument, lending our deep expertise to ensure the area is utilized respectfully by the local community and tourists from across the globe. Out of respect for tribal sovereignty, we ask that you refrain from taking any actions associated with this area without appropriate and robust tribal consultation.

The Chuckwalla National Monument is part of our traditional homelands and is inextricably tied to our cultures, histories, and peoples. We have stewarded this land and surrounding areas since time immemorial. Furthermore, the designation of the Chuckwalla National Monument resulted from several years of collaborative work by Tribal Nations and local community groups. There is near universal and bipartisan support for the effort locally, and the final proposal was crafted with input and support from the energy industry and utility companies to ensure this outcome is balanced with other regional community needs.

We request the opportunity to meet with you and your staff to fully explain our position and why this designation — and the associated protections — are so important to our Tribal Nations.”

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