LATEST NEWS ON BAHSAHWAHBEE
LATEST NEWS ON BAHSAHWAHBEE
Nevada Current Runs Story
on Tribes’ Push for Bahsahwahbee
May 8, 2024
Today, the Nevada Current ran a story on the 3 Tribes’ call-to-action for the federal government to take action on designating Bahsahwahbee as a national monument within the National Park System. The story highlights the May 6th anniversary of the 1863 massacre, and it brings forward statements from Tribal Leaders about the growing coalition of supporters from across Nevada and the Nation. This article by Jennifer Solis can be read here.
Senator Rosen
Statement on X:
Standing with Tribes on Bahsahwahbee NM
May 6, 2024
SENATOR JACKY ROSEN released a statement about standing with the Tribes on the Bahsahwahbee National Monument effort, and on recognizing the anniversary of the May 6, 1863 massacre at Bahsahwahbee. Thank you, Senator!.
Senator Cortez Masto
Statement on X:
Standing with Tribes on Bahsahwahbee NM
May 6, 2024
SENATOR CORTEZ MASTO released a statement about standing with the Tribes on the Bahsahwahbee National Monument effort, and on recognizing the anniversary of the May 6, 1863 massacre at Bahsahwahbee. Thank you, Senator!.
Tribal Chairmen and Pattern Energy CEO article in Ely Times
May 3, 2024
TRIBAL CHAIRMEN and PATTERN ENERGY CEO’s article was published in the Ely Times. Article here. A big ‘thank-you’ to Pattern Energy for their support, continued partnership, and working together in a good way.
May 6, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
GOSHUTE CHAIRMAN STATEMENT ON GROWING BAHSAHWAHBEE NATIONAL MONUMENT COALITION
Media contact: Monte Sanford, monte.sanford@gmail.com, (360) 746-2874.
WHITE PINE COUNTY, NV –– Today, the Chairman of the Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation released the following statement on the growing coalition of organizations supporting the effort by Tribal Nations to designate Bahsahwahbee, locally known as the Swamp Cedars, as a National Monument within the National Park System. The Tribe, along with the Duckwater Shoshone Tribe and Ely Shoshone Tribe, are rallying support to ensure proper recognition, preservation, and commemoration of this historically and religiously significant site.
The story of Bahsahwahbee is one of resilience, respect, and reconciliation. After spending centuries using Bahsahwahbee as a place of ceremony, celebration and sustenance, the Indigenous Newe people endured multiple massacres between 1850 and 1900, with one of them being the largest known Indian massacre in US history. The sacred grove of Swamp Cedars at Bahsahwahbee commemorates the spirits of the men, women, and children who lost their lives during these tragic events. The site remains a place of healing and mourning for Indigenous Peoples across the Great Basin, who continue to visit this site to connect with their ancestors, offer prayers, and hold healing ceremonies.
Today, May 6th, marks the 161st anniversary of the 1863 massacre at Bahsahwahbee. It was preceded by a blitz of other massacres of Native American people, as the US calvary targeted Bahsahwahbee to further eradicate Goshute and Western Shoshone people and force them into signing treaties of “peace and friendship”, thereby opening the West to expansion, colonization, and the rapid rise of America. Native people were left with unconscionable suffering and without a voice for Bahsahwahbee.
But now, with this announcement of the coalition of supporters for the Tribes’ monument proposal along with support from NV Senators, that long history of injustices is being reversed.
Organizations leading conservation and environmental justice initiatives in Nevada have sent letters to Senators Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, expressing their support for the Tribes' request to establish Bahsahwahbee National Monument within the National Park System. Additionally, the National Congress of American Indians adopted a resolution endorsing the proposal and calling on President Biden for action.
The growing coalition comes at an important time for the Biden administration as it considers what national monument designations it will make in 2024 and for lawmakers who must actively advocate in order for national monument proposals to be successful in their home states.
“That so many organizations across Nevada and the Nation are supporting our Tribes’ effort to designate Bahsahwahbee as a National Monument within the National Park System means a great deal to us as Native Americans,” said Amos Murphy, Chairman of the Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation. “Too often, Tribes are isolated in our work to heal our traumas from the past, to tell our stories, and to move forward in a good and inclusive way on such a monumentally significant initiative like this monument effort. But today, with this announcement of our coalition of supporters, we are demonstrating that when Native communities begin sharing our stories there are others out there willing to help us on this difficult road. We could not do this without their help. And for that, we are incredibly grateful. If successful in our goal of having the Biden administration designate Bahsahwahbee National Monument within the National Park System, it will be because of all of our Tribes, this coalition of organizations, Nevada’s Senators, and others working together. The positive effect is something that will be felt for generations to come in Tribal communities, throughout Nevada, and across the Nation.”
“Bahasahwahbee has been the Tribes’ ceremonial gathering area for millennia,” said Monte Sanford, the Tribes’ National Monument Campaign Director. “In a similar vein, we have sought to bring this coalition, stakeholders and partners together for a common purpose so we can all celebrate a historic moment for the Tribes. There are so many stories and so much history here for the Tribes to share, making it all the more critical that Bahsahwahbee National Monument is established within the National Park System — a system specialized in telling some of the Nation’s most heartfelt and difficult stories. We hope this year will be a turning point for the Tribes to finally have a voice in the future of Bahsahwahbee.”
Numerous organizations supporting the Tribes shared statements about the importance of establishing this national monument.
“We are grateful for the tribal leaders who are willing to share their stories with the nation and the Park Service to commemorate such a special place,” said Kyle Roerink, Executive Director of the Great Basin Water Network. “Western Shoshone leaders have sacrificed and endured for so many years to reach this moment. It’s time non-native people from across the nation rise to the occasion and support this National Monument effort.”
“The Wilderness Society stands strongly in support of the Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation, the Duckwater Shoshone Tribe, and the Ely Shoshone Tribe in their request to the Biden Administration to designate Bahsahwahbee National Monument within the National Park System. The proposed monument carries a significant cultural, spiritual, and historical value to Tribal nations and must be preserved and commemorated to honor the area’s tragic history. We look forward to supporting the Tribes and collaborating with local partners to see Bahsahwahbee permanently preserved this year,” said Nicole Layman, Deputy Vice President of Conservation Campaigns at The Wilderness Society.
“Protecting cultural landscapes and biodiversity in partnership with the Indigenous community is crucial to the well-being of present and future generations,” said Meghan Wolf, Senior Manager of Environmental Campaigns at Patagonia, the global outdoor apparel company. “Patagonia has supported the efforts of local Tribes and organizations to preserve the resources in eastern Nevada for decades. This area is both rich in biological value and a sacred site for the Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation, the Duckwater Shoshone Tribe, and the Ely Shoshone Tribe. We will continue to support work to steward this land, and we urge the Biden administration to designate the Bahsahwahbee National Monument within the National Park System.”
“The Nevada Conservation League supports tribal efforts to honor Bahsahwahbee as a national monument to safeguard the rich cultural history embodied in the Swamp Cedars and ensure the protection of vital ecosystems,” said Nevada Conservation League Deputy Director, Christi Cabrera-Georgeson. “Together, we can ensure the protection of resilient ecosystems, mitigate environmental challenges, and foster a harmonious balance between cultural reverence and environmental stewardship for generations to come.”
“Bahsahwahbee is a sacred space of cultural and historic significance and a refuge for wildlife, plants, and critical habitat. With the site's long history of religious and cultural use, plus the series of 19th century massacres, Bahsahwahbee must be preserved and commemorated as the Tribes have requested. We stand with the Tribes in support of the establishment of the Bahsahwahbee National Monument within the National Park System.” - Phil Francis, Chair of Coalition to Protect America's National Parks
"Friends of Nevada Wilderness is dedicated to the permanent protection of public lands in Nevada with high conservation and cultural values, like the Bahsahwahbee National Monument proposed by three Tribal nations," said Friends of Nevada Wilderness Executive Director Shaaron Netherton. "Bahsahwahbee is unlike any other place in Nevada, especially given its tragic history and cultural significance to the Tribes. We fully support the Tribes' efforts to preserve and commemorate Bahsahwahbee within the National Park System and encourage the Administration and our delegation to support their important efforts for this sacred place."
“Spring Valley is one of the most ecologically rich and biodiverse places in the whole Great Basin, and the unique Swamp Cedars of Bahsahwahbee are the centerpiece,” said Patrick Donnelly, Great Basin director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “By protecting Bahsahwahbee, we acknowledge and revere the sacred cultural heritage of Spring Valley to the Newe and we preserve the irreplaceable biological treasures there.”
“The Nature Conservancy fully supports commemorating the sacred Bahsahwahbee site as a national monument as proposed by the Tribes. Bahsahwahbee is a sacred place and protecting it as a National Monument will preserve their connection to traditional ecological knowledge, culture, and history at this place. It will also preserve one of the most special and distinctive ecological areas in Nevada, including the swamp cedars in Spring Valley which are globally-ranked as critically imperiled. We urge President Biden and Congress to act swiftly to protect Bahsahwahbee.” – Mauricia Baca, Nevada State Director, The Nature Conservancy
“Bahsahwahbee is a site of great significance to the Indigenous Newe peoples across the Great Basin,” said Paula Luna, Deputy Director at Battleborn Progress. “A sacred land so critical in its cultural importance to the Indigenous peoples whose land we now occupy is a vitally important space to protect.”
“The National Parks Conservation Association strongly supports the Tribes’ proposal to commemorate and preserve Bahsahwahbee’s significant historical and cultural values within the National Park System,” said Neal Desai, Senior Program Director at the National Parks Conservation Association. “The Tribes have made a clear and compelling case for their national monument proposal, and it’s essential that Senator Cortez Masto, Senator Rosen, and the Biden administration swiftly work to get this accomplished for the benefit of generations to come.”
To support the Tribes’ Bahsahwahbee (Swamp Cedars) National Monument campaign, individuals are encouraged to visit the official website at https://www.swampcedars.org to sign the petition and express their solidarity by sharing their support on social media using the hashtag #ProtectSwampCedars or #ProtectBahsahwahbee.
For all media inquiries, including requests for interviews or comments, please contact the Tribes’ National Monument Campaign Director, Monte Sanford, at monte.sanford@gmail.com.
Pattern Energy Amplifies Support for Bahsahwahbee Monument
April 30, 2024
PATTERN ENERGY released a statement today on their website, linking to the recent op-ed by Tribal Chairs and Pattern Energy’s CEO. Read the full op-ed here. And a big ‘thank-you’ to our friends at Pattern Energy for their support, continued partnership, and working together.
“Leaders of Tribal nations in eastern Nevada and Pattern Energy CEO Hunter Armistead have co-authored an article to bring attention to efforts to have a site sacred to the Tribes declared a National Monument. His co-authors include Amos Murphy, Chairman of the Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation, Debbie O’Neil, Chairwoman of the Duckwater Shoshone Tribe, and Alvin Marques, Chairman of the Ely Shoshone Tribe.
Bahsahwahbee is adjacent to Pattern’s Spring Valley Wind facility near Ely, Nevada. A site of important cultural and historical significance, Bahsahwahbee should be protected and preserved to create educational opportunities and a deeper appreciation of America’s history.
In connection with Pattern’s support for the National Monument, Pattern is working with the Bureau of Land Management to relinquish unused acreage within the Spring Valley Wind boundary so those lands can become part of the proposed National Monument.”
Patagonia Uplifts 3 Tribes’ Bahsahwahbee NM Effort
April 30, 2024
PATAGONIA released a statement today on X, uplifting the 3 Tribes’ effort to designate Bahsahwahbee National Monument within the National Park System.. Patagonia joined the 3 Tribes in asking the public to support the effort by signing the petition. Please share their X post (right) to spread the word.
You can view a great animation art installation by Max Hammer and Anthony Scheppard on @Patagonia on X post (right). That animation can be viewed in person as well at Patagonia’s store in Reno, Nevada. We greatly appreciate their work and support.
“Tribes, Renewable Industry Work Together for a New National Monument”
April 25, 2024
Tribal Chairmen and Pattern Energy/Spring Valley Wind CEO had a joint Op-Ed article published today in This is Reno. Read the full story here: LEARN MORE. Here is a short clip from the article:
“Pattern Energy and Spring Valley Wind stand behind Tribes’ efforts to achieve this national monument designation….Working together in a good way can create a path for a more equitable world. We know that creating this national monument in the way the Tribes are requesting will advance a more profound understanding of America’s story. With all of us working together, this national monument effort better ensures that Bahsahwahbee remains a place of reverence that inspires future generations of partnership and friendship between all of us.”
Tribes Meet With White House Officials for National Monument
April 17, 2024
April 17, 2024
For Immediate Release
CONTACT: Monte Sanford
Tribes’ Monument Campaign Director
Bahsahwahbee National Monument Campaign
Tel: 360-746-2874
Email: monte.sanford@gmail.com
www.swampcedars.org
Tribes Meet With White House Officials for National Monument
Three Nevada tribes continue their effort to have President Biden designate Bahsahwahbee
as the next park-service-managed monument in the state
Washington, D.C. — Yesterday, the Bahsahwahbee National Monument coalition met with senior White House officials and top personnel within the Department of Interior to discuss the Bahsahwahbee National Monument and its significance to indigenous communities in the Great Basin. The meeting follows the years-long campaign by the Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation, Duckwater Shoshone Tribe, and Ely Shoshone Tribe to designate the Bahsahwahbee National Monument within the National Park System, commemorating 25,000-acre site that is the tribes’ ancestral and religious gathering area that was also home to at least three massacres in the 19th Century.
The meeting comes as multiple coalitions across the country met with officials this week in Washington D.C. to discuss 10 National Monument proposals that are in front of the Biden Administration. The three Tribal Nations leading the Bahsahwahbee coalition have spent the past three years working in Nevada and the Nation’s Capital, actively pushing for the commemoration effort and hoping to convince Congress and the Biden Administration to act.
Senators Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen committed strong support last year, vowing to champion the tribes in their effort to commemorate hallowed indigenous lands in Eastern Nevada. The senators promised to work on legislation that supported the tribes’ proposal, which would designate the 25,000-acre sacred site to be managed by the National Park Service. Lawmakers, however, have yet to introduce a bill.
Bahsahwahbee is a short distance from the Snake Range, home to Great Basin National Park, and continues to serve as a place of healing and memory for tribal members to connect with their ancestors. The tribes have held multiple in-person and virtual meetings with officials from Washington in the past year, continuing their quest to finally have this nationally significant historic place recognized, preserved and commemorated by America’s storytellers: the National Park Service.
"For thousands of years, our Goshute and Western Shoshone peoples gathered at Bahsahwahbee to celebrate life, hold ceremonies and dances, and practice our customs and traditions. Because of this, our ancestors were targeted and killed during these religious gatherings in three separate massacres, one being one of the largest massacres of Indian people in US history,” said Councilman Richard Williams, Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation. “As Americans, our shared history is worth honoring and commemorating to the highest standards, which is done through the National Park System. The Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation, Duckwater Shoshone Tribe, and Ely Shoshone Tribe call on President Biden to take swift action to establish the Bahsahwahbee National Monument within the National Park System. Our Tribal Leaders, elders and members have broad support from surrounding communities, industries, political leaders and everyday citizens, bringing us all together for a common cause and by doing so making us a stronger nation."
“We appreciate the White House and Interior officials hearing us out,” said Monte Sanford, the three Tribes’ Monument Campaign Director. “For the first time since the 1859 massacre, the Goshute and Shoshone peoples may finally have a voice and a say about the future of Bahsahwahbee. That future is one where the Tribes work with the National Park Service to preserve and commemorate not just the history of the serial massacres but also develop a more complete picture of the Tribal culture before that time, the unconscionable suffering and death the Tribes endured that allowed America to prosper, and the Tribes today. Tribal leaders have repeatedly asked that Bahsahwahbee become a place to learn, to find peace, and to find healing for all Americans. If you don’t recognize and learn from the past, then the injustices continue, the healing does not happen, and prosperity is lost. In the coming weeks, we hope our productive meetings and negotiations turn into action that the Tribes, the Senators, and this Administration will be proud of as we walk together along the path of healing the soul of this Nation. A Bahsahwahbee National Monument within the Park System can ensure a new beginning – an era of education and healing not just for indigenous people but for all Americans where Tribes have a major role in shaping that process.”
In a Tweet this morning, The White House stated: “Our Administration has protected more than 26 million acres of lands and waters so far – putting President Biden on track to conserve more lands and waters than any President in history.”
As Goshute Councilman Williams said Wednesday at a press conference at the nation’s Capitol and to administration officials, “Bahsahwahbee may not be big but it’s mighty.” So many important parts of history came together in this area: inter-tribal religious gatherings, explorers and emigrants on overland routes, clashing civilizations, and the near erasure of a people and their culture. But now, the Tribes are writing the next chapter for Bahsahwahbee to celebrate and commemorate both history and a future shared place of healing and prosperity.
BACKGROUND
Bahsahwahbee (locally known as Swamp Cedars) was once a ceremonial and pilgrimage site where thousands of Indigenous Newe Peoples gathered every year. But during the 19th century, this valley became the killing fields as the Newe suffered eleven massacres. Bahsahwahbee is at the heart of the three largest massacres, one being one of the largest known Indian massacre in US history, which all occurred at times of religious gatherings.
Bahsahwahbee is singular as a place of religious gathering comparable to the Vatican or the Kumbha Melas, a place of genocide too similar to Auschwitz, and a mass graveyard not unlike Arlington National Cemetery.
The Newe hold that the sacred grove of Swamp Cedars embodies the spirits of the men, women and children who were killed. Indigenous Peoples from across the Great Basin still go to Bahsahwahbee to visit their ancestors, pray, and hold healing ceremonies.
Tribal Nations are now calling for these federal public lands to be commemorated and preserved as a National Monument within the National Park System.
In 2021, the Nevada legislature passed a resolution supporting the tribes’ effort for a monument. Last year, Nevada’s U.S. senators vowed to offer their support and the tribes held multiple meetings with the top officials inside the White House and at the Department of Interior. This week’s meetings in D.C. underscores the tribes’ continued commitment to working with all parties.
“Nevada tribes push for monument to commemorate massacres”
April 17, 2024
Happy to see the monument effort highlighted in High Country News. Author Daniel Rothberg did a good job of capturing some key points from Tribal Elders.
“Our people are still there,” Ely Shoshone Tribal Chairman Alvin Marques was quoted saying. “Their spirits are still there. They live in the trees. That’s the reason why you protect it. It is a cemetery.”
Senator Catherine Cortez Masto released a statement to LV Weekly a week prior stating that she is working with the 3 Tribes on the legislative part of this effort to designate Bahsahwahbee as a national monument.
“The monument would join other sites that commemorate tragic moments in U.S. history, including the enslavement of Black Americans and the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II,” wrote Rothberg.
Read the full story here: LEARN MORE. (Photo credit right: Daniel Rothberg, HCN)
“More than 800,000 people ask Biden admin for monument protections”
April 17, 2024
Full press release at The Wilderness Society HERE.
Today, in a momentous display of unity, Tribal and community leaders joined members of Congress from across the West to present a staggering 800,000+ petition signatures from people urging President Biden to use the Antiquities Act to designate and expand national monuments. This gathering underscores a shared commitment to protecting public lands and is a testament to everyday people's collective power and support.
The “Monumental Call to Action” highlighted 11 community-led campaigns to preserve cultural, historical, and natural resources across seven states that includes the 1908 Springfield Race Riot in Illinois and Bahsahwahbee-Swamp Cedars in Nevada.
Despite overwhelming public support—85% of Westerners support the creation of national monuments—no new monument expansions or designations have been made this year, which underscores the urgent need for action.
(Photo credit right: The Wilderness Society)
“FEDS MUST DELIVER ON BAHSAHWAHBEE”
March 18, 2024
Ely Shoshone Tribal Elder (also Preservation Liaison for Bahsahwahbee), Delaine Spilsbury, had an Opinion article published the Las Vegas Sun. “Bahsahwahbee is a national treasure” she wrote. All across this Nation, we have chosen to preserve and commemorate places of great significance to Civil Rights Movement, Japanese concentration camps, and military battles. But nothing for Bahsahwahbee, and the historic massacres there.
And yet, entities continue to prevent the Tribes from getting the National Monument they are asking for. “It has been extremely hurtful that some interests,” Delaine continued, “including within the federal government, have sought for our tribes to fail.”
“Let’s not forget: As Americans, our shared history is worth honoring and commemorating to the highest standards — the National Park System. It makes us a better nation. And it’s fundamental to our shared prosperity.”
Read the full story here: LEARN MORE.
BAHSAHWAHBEE STORY HITS NATIONAL MEDIA IN
ASSOCIATED PRESS WIRE
January 24, 2024
Today, a story on Bahsahwahbee hit media outlets across the nation. The Tribes have requested the Biden administration to designate the Bahsahwahbee National Monument within the National Park System. Since the beginning of this effort, the Tribes have sought out partnerships and collaboration, as we’ve brought the story of Bahsahwahbee to a national audience and moved forward in a good way. We have great urgency to get this monument is designated with the next several months. Our elders deserve to see this designated now in a way that is right by them. Read the story here: LEARN MORE.
GOSHUTE TRIBAL CHAIRMAN CALLS ATTENTION TO THE IMPORTANCE AND URGENCY OF DESIGNATING BAHSAHWAHBEE
January 22, 2024
In an opinion piece published in The Nevada Independent on January 22, 2024, Chairman Amos Murphy of the Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation calls attention to the fact that Bahsahwahbee is long over due to be preserved and commemorated. He thanks NV Senators Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen for their continued support and commitment to advocate for this monument and move this effort forward quickly. The Tribes have great urgency to ensure this monument is designated with the next several months. LEARN MORE.
3 TRIBES’ BAHSAHWAHBEE NATIONAL MONUMENT EFFORT IN THE RGJ, HIGHLIGHTING SENATOR CORTEZ MASTO LEADERSHIP
October 30, 2023
“This is their ask,” Senator Cortez Masto was quoted saying by RGJ. Three Tribal Nations (not just citizens and elders) have asked Senator Cortez Masto, Senator Rosen, and the Biden Administration to establish the Bahsahwahbee National Monument under the National Park Service. “For me, as a member of the Senate Indian Affairs committee … one of my top priorities is to engage with tribal nations in Nevada and across the country to understand and advance their priorities,” Cortez Masto told the RGJ. “One of the priorities is the protection of places of cultural and historical importance, like Bahsahwahbee.” We also thank the Senator for her work on the MMIW crisis. LEARN MORE.
SENATOR CORTEZ MASTO SUPPORT OF TRIBES’ BAHSAHWAHBEE NATIONAL MONUMENT GROWS STRONGER
October 09, 2023
Again and again Senator Cortez Masto and her team have continued to support and lead the effort with the 3 Tribes on the Bahsahwahbee National Monument designation. We thank them, along with Senator Rosen, for their continued commitment to move this effort forward in a positive way. Pictured to the right are Senator Cortez Masto, Duckwater Shoshone Tribal Chairman Warren Graham, and CTGR Chairman Amos Murphy. Photo credit: CCM’s staff.
SENATOR CORTEZ MASTO VOWS CONTINUED SUPPORT OF TRIBES’ PROPOSAL FOR BAHSAHWAHBEE NATIONAL MONUMENT
September 13, 2023
We thank Senator Cortez Masto for her continued support of the Tribes’ proposal for the Bahsahwahbee National Monument to be managed by the National Park Service. Tribal Leaders and elders appreciate the Senator’s vow of support and continued relationship to move this NPS-managed national monument to the finish line. Senators Cortez Masto and Rosen have been good partners in this effort. We appreciate their hard work and dedication to uplifting and respecting Tribal needs. We also very much appreciated the Senators for making time to visit Bahsahwahbee with the Tribes this past summer.
TRIBAL LEADERS AND MONUMENT SUPPORTERS APPLAUD SENATOR ROSEN FOR STEADFAST SUPPORT
August 15, 2023
Chairman Amos Murphy, Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation
“We thank Senator Jacky Rosen for her serious commitment and leadership on the Tribes’ proposal for the Bahsahwahbee National Monument within the National Park System. Bahsahwahbee is a religious gathering area, a holy land, and a place where our people were targeted and eradicated. We survived genocide. We have to remember that, honor that place, and commemorate what happened there as a national monument within the National Park System. We thank all the stakeholders for working with us on this monument effort in a positive way.”
Chairman Warren Graham, Duckwater Shoshone Tribe
“The Tribes would not be where we are today on the Bahsahwahbee National Monument effort without Senator Rosen. We are pleased that this monument effort is bringing together various stakeholders. We have spent over two years working with stakeholders discussing issues of importance and the need to commemorate Bahsahwahbee as a monument within the National Park System. We appreciate all the support and discussions we’ve had from local entities like the City of Ely, the White Pine Chamber of Commerce, the White Pine County Tourism and Recreation Board, Pattern Energy, and others like the Nevada State Legislature..”
Chairwoman Diana Buckner, Ely Shoshone Tribe
“We are so grateful for Senator Jacky Rosen and her staff for their commitment and leadership on our Tribes’ national monument proposal. This proposal to commemorate this culturally significant site within the National Park System is of critical importance to our communities, as reflected by resolutions of support by the Ely Shoshone Tribe, Duckwater Shoshone Tribe, Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation, and the Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada, representing 27 Tribes. There is a lot of urgency to get this monument designated as soon as possible. We want to ensure that our Tribal elders, some of whom are very old, can celebrate this and be a part of making historic achievements for this community.”
Pattern Energy/Spring Valley Wind
“Pattern Energy and our employees at Spring Valley Wind are committed to being good neighbors and supporting local tribal communities. We are honored to be able to help this effort by releasing approximately 700 unused acres of BLM land at Spring Valley Wind to be part of this important monument. We believe that this place of memory deserves to be commemorated and preserved within the National Park System. Doing so ensures that Indigenous People can continue to hold ceremonies and pray for loved ones, as they have for generations.”
SENATOR JACKY ROSEN VISITS BAHSAHWAHBEE WITH
TRIBAL LEADERS
August 11, 2023
On August 11, 2023, Senator Jacky Rosen visited Bahsahwahbee with Tribal leaders and DOI representatives. The Tribes appreciate Senator Rosen for being there to share in what makes Bahsahwahbee so important to the Newe people. The Tribes thank the Senator for her continued leadership, good faith, and ability to bring stakeholders together today for productive discussion and understanding. The Tribes greatly appreciate the outpouring of support from stakeholders. LEARN MORE.
SENATOR CORTEZ MASTO REAFFIRMS HER SUPPORT FOR THE BAHSAHWAHBEE NATIONAL MONUMENT DESIGNATION
June 7, 2023
On July 7, 2023, Senator Cortez Masto visited Bahsahwahbee with Tribal leaders and Tribal elders. During that visit and in a follow-up news release, the Senator reaffirmed her support for the Bahsahwahbee (Swamp Cedars) National Monument. The Tribes are immensely grateful for the Senator taking time to come out to the site, for talking with us about why this place is so important, and for her continued support. LEARN MORE.
SENATOR ROSEN EXPRESSES CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR BAHSAHWAHBEE NATIONAL MONUMENT
June 1, 2023
Senate Jacky Rosen expressed her continued support and leadership to help the Tribes advance the Bahsahwahbee National Monument (Swamp Cedars), which came out today in a press release from the her office. LEARN MORE. We are grateful to both Senator Rosen and Senator Cortez Masto for efforts.
SECRETARY HAALAND ASKED TO SUPPORT THE TRIBES’ BAHSAHWAHBEE (SWAMP CEDARS) NATIONAL MONUMENT IN
SENATE HEARING
May 2, 2023
In this morning’s Senate Hearing on Energy and Natural Resources, Nevada Senator CCM asked Interior Secretary Haaland to join her and Senator Rosen in supporting the 3 Tribes’ Bahsahwahbee (Swamp Cedars) National Monument effort. We are grateful to our leaders in the Senate and Interior for bringing this monument effort forward. The Newe peoples’ traditions and tragic history at Bahsahwahbee are singular and exceptional.
SWAMP CEDARS NATIONAL MONUMENT TEAM:
A TRIBUTE TO RUPERT STEELE
April 28, 2023
Swamp Cedars National Monument (Bahsahwahbee) team: “We honor, we remember, we pay homage to our beloved leader, teacher, and friend: Goshute Chairman Rupert Steele. May he rest in peace among his ancestors, and may we remember his teachings.” Thank you to Sacred Circle for this video tribute.
SWAMP CEDARS NATIONAL MONUMENT (BAHSAHWAHBEE) ELEVATED TO SECRETARY HAALAND
April 28, 2023
Swamp Cedars National Monument (Bahsahwahbee) — proposed by the Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation, Duckwater Shoshone Tribe, and Ely Shoshone Tribe — landed on Interior Secretary Deb Haaland’s desk a few days ago. The Tribes are grateful to Senators Jacky Rosen and Catherine Cortez Masto for their support and call on the Biden Administration to designate the Bahsahwahbee Swamp Cedars National Monument. Article in the Washington Post and Las Vegas Review Journal. See more about the Senators’ joint letter to Secretary Haaland here: LEARN MORE.
SENATORS ROSEN AND CORTEZ MASTO SEND LETTER TO INTERIOR SECRETARY HAALAND TO ENGAGE ON TRIBES’ BAHSAHWAHBEE-SWAMP CEDARS NATIONAL MONUMENT
April 26, 2023
Senators Jacky Rosen and Catherine Cortez Masto sent a letter to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland today, calling on the Biden Administration to designate the Bahsahwahbee (Swamp Cedars) National Monument. Article in the Washington Post, first shared on Climate 202. The Tribes are very appreciative of the efforts of the Senators and their commitment to helping the Tribes on this effort. LEARN MORE.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
COVERS THE TRIBES’ BAHSAHWAHBEE NATIONAL MONUMENT EFFORT
October 18, 2021
In 1888, National Geographic began introducing the world to some of the most iconic and amazing discoveries from around the world. Now, in 2021, they added to their list the Bahsahwahbee National Monument effort — a story about three Tribal Nations in Nevada who want to protect and commemorate a nationally significant historic property of indigenous religious gatherings and of serial massacres perpetrated during those religious events. According to Goshute Tribal Chairman, Rupert Steele, this is the place where his people were nearly erased from this world, yet it demonstrates the incredible resilience of the Native American people. LEARN MORE.
STATE OF NEVADA
SUPPORTS BAHSAHWAHBEE
NATIONAL MONUMENT
May 14, 2021
In a unanimous bipartisan vote of 21-0, the Nevada Senate sealed the State’s support for the three Tribal Nations’ proposed Bahsahwahbee (Swamp Cedars) National Monument. The Senate passed Assembly Joint Resolution #4, sponsored by the Assemblyman Howard Watts III and further supported by the Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation, Ely Shoshone Tribe, and Duckwater Shoshone Tribes, as well as a coalition of supporters. It’s an extraordinary move that places a high value on the recognition, commemoration, and protection of one of Nevada’s most exceptional places. LEARN MORE.
