Chuckwalla National Monument Intertribal Commission
COACHELLA (CNS) – Five Indian tribes have joined forces to create an intertribal commission aimed at incorporating their cultural heritage, values and knowledge into the management of the Chuckwalla National Monument, it was announced Monday.
“Chuckwalla National Monument is imbued with religious, spiritual, historic and cultural significance for Tribal Nations that trace their origins to these lands,” President of the Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe Jonathan Koteen said in statement.
The Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians, the Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe, the Cahuilla Band of Indians, the Chemehuevi Indian and the Colorado River Indian tribes have banned together to “work towards a Tribally- led vision for the monument that benefits Tribal Nations, sacred objects within the monument and the broader Chuckwalla landscape,” said Daniel Leivas, chairman of the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe.
The commission aims to steward the more than 624,000 acres of public land that includes village sites, camps, a food processing site, trails and historical artifacts that tie the tribes to the protected land.
“The formation of the Chuckwalla National Monument Intertribal Commission will help ensure that Indigenous values and principles are integrated into the region’s land management plan,” Koteen said.
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