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.