Joe Biden, the President of the United States, is planning to go to Coachella Valley on Tuesday to disclose his idea of establishing a national monument to the south of Joshua Tree National Park. His trip to Coachella Valley seems like an attempt to cover up the real issues. The fact is that instead of focusing on pressing matters plaguing America, like the rising inflation, Biden is planning to wage what appears to be a war on energy industries.
Interestingly, the president’s trip to Coachella isn’t his first stop. On Monday, he and his wife, Jill Biden, are set to visit New Orleans to meet with community members who were affected by the New Year’s terror attack on Bourbon Street. The attack left 15 people dead and many injured. Instead of a simple visit, American people probably expect more proactive measures from the President to prevent such grave incidents from recurring.
From New Orleans, the Bidens plan to arrive in Los Angeles later on Monday. However, details about the president’s intended route or goals in Los Angeles remain a mystery. It’s unclear whether the President is there to address California’s rising crime rates, homelessness issues, housing crisis or just for another photo-op with Hollywood celebrities.
The centerpiece of President Biden’s agenda for his visit to Coachella Valley would be to sign a declaration that would deem the formation of a Chuckwalla National Monument to the south of Joshua Tree National Park and fits his overall environmental agenda perfectly. This move, in essence, puts all industrial and energy-related activities in the area in the line of fire, effectively making drilling, mining, and related activities illicit. It seems as though the energy sector continues to bear the brunt of Biden’s environmental agenda.
In a similar vein, Biden is set to make another proclamation for the land surrounding the Sáttítla National Monument in Northern California. But one can’t help ask whether such moves contribute significantly to American progress or merely serve to stifle industrial growth and productivity at the expense of vague environmental goals.
While ignoring various struggles faced by American people, Biden has found supporters of his proposed ‘Chuckwalla National Monument’ among Southern California tribal leaders. Their interests are in lands that happen to be the homelands of the Iviatim, Nüwü, Pipa Aha Macav, Kwatsáan and Maara’yam peoples. However, we all know American electorate is much wider and more diverse.
It may be fair to say that tribal leaders have their interests. Altrena Santillanes, Secretary of the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians, stated that the region has been their traditional home from time immemorial, boasting thousands of valuable cultural places and objects. It seems these tribal leaders are more concerned about their history and identity than American progress and productivity.
The leaders proposed a sizeable monument that would cover about 627,000 acres of public land and also protect an additional 17,000 acres in the Eagle Mountains. But does this new monument contribute to America’s energy security or economic growth? Or does it just add to the list of the national monuments with little to no benefits for the common American citizen?
Supporters of the monument believe it would serve a noble purpose, protecting heritage values linked to the land, like Indigenous peoples’ trail systems and sacred sites. But one must ask: Is this the most crucial issue on our national agenda today? Or are there other more pressing issues that need the President’s attention?
These proponents also believe that additional protection for public lands would make natural parts of the eastern Coachella Valley and adjacent areas, like Mecca’s Painted Canyon trail and the Bradshaw Trail in southeastern Riverside County, more accessible to the public. But who benefits the most from these tried and failed policies? Perhaps, it’s time we stop romanticizing the idea of public lands and focus on how best to put these lands to productive use.
The desired monument, according to these advocates, holds spiritual importance and contains natural resources that nurture multiple Indigenous peoples. But how does the potential monument address issues of economic growth, energy security, international trade, or infrastructure development that are undeniably more important to the American populace?
Preservation seems to be the key concern for these tribes, according to David Harper of the Mojave Elders for the Colorado River Indian Tribes. One might argue, however, that there has to be a balance. After all, while historical preservation is important, we need to get our priorities right and focus on creating a prosperous future.
Last year, some members of the California congressional delegation joined the bandwagon, calling for a Presidential Proclamation under the pressure of the 1906 Antiquities Act to formally ratify the national monument. This appears to be another example of politicians playing to their base rather than focusing on the issues that genuinely matter to the American people.
This concept of establishing a national monument surprisingly has some support amongst various tribal leaders, around eight Coachella Valley city administrations, and over 225 local business establishments. Yet, these entities make up a small and marginal part of a country of almost 330 million people. Are we really putting the interests of the majority first, or are we being swayed by a vocal minority?
Donald Medart Jr. of the Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe Council appears to see the national monument designation status as a way of preserving the culture, teachings, and storytelling, connecting them to their past, present, and future. But as the leaders plan to protect the ‘beauty of these places,’ the question remains: What about the beauty of American enterprise and industry, which is being stifled by such initiatives?
All eyes are currently on Biden to see if he’ll give in to these calls to keep these places indefinitely safe. In the meantime, the rest of America waits for answers to their numerous pressing challenges. From increasing crime rates to escalating prices, there are plenty of things that need the President’s attention. It’s high time he leaves such romanticized schemes and starts putting America first.