Hi,

The vast majority of US public lands are carved out of Indigenous people’s sacred homelands.  In some cases, Tribal communities retain treaty rights to those lands, many of which contain sacred cultural sites. Yet the federal government grants itself permission to sell off these lands to private developers for destructive projects including mining and pipeline construction, regardless of their cultural significance.1

The US government must stop desecrating and destroying Indigenous lands. Congress must  protect Native cultural sites and ensure Native people have a say in the management of public lands! 

Tell Congress: pass the Advancing Tribal Parity on Public Lands Act and the Tribal Cultural Areas Protection Act!

In the words of Rep. Raúl Grijalva, chair of the House Natural Resources Committee, “There is no deed that can undo or fully compensate for this country’s historical neglect and desecration of Indigenous Peoples’ culture and places that are sacred to them. But that doesn’t mean that we should simply sit back and let history continue repeating itself.”1

Already, hundreds of Indigenous sacred sites have been destroyed by the climate crisis and harmful development projects. Congress must prohibit the sale of public land containing a Tribal cultural site, where a Tribal nation retains treaty or other reserved rights, or that contains a former reservation as one small step towards recognizing the land rights of Native peoples!

“These two bills are a small step, but an important one, in giving Tribal nations the respect and authority they deserve when it comes to managing our public lands and protecting sacred and cultural sites,” said Grijalva.

Tell Congress to ensure Native people have a say in the management of public lands and protect Native cultural sites!

Thanks for taking action,

Izzi and the team at Demand Progress

Sources: 

1. House Natural Resources Committee, “Chair Grijalva, Sen. Heinrich Introduce Two Bills to Elevate the Role of Tribal Nations, Protect Tribal Cultural Sites in Public Land Management,” June 16, 2022.

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