Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni

In the Grand Canyon region, physical and spiritual trails weave in and out of tributary canyons, across the Colorado River, and up through forests and grasslands on the canyon rims. Some of these are well-traveled today, like the Bright Angel Trail in Grand Canyon National Park, which has been used by Indigenous people for millennia. But many more extend across the landscape into the traditions, histories, and stories of modern Native American peoples, whose ancestors have hunted, raised families, harvested food, gathered medicines, traded, and conducted ceremonies here since time immemorial and are still here today.

Their footprints lead the way to springs, mineral deposits, seasonal camps, and sacred sites. For at least 13 tribes today, the rock writings, pottery sherds, and archaeological sites in and around the Grand Canyon are living historical connections to their ancestors who walked before them.

The designation of the tribally proposed Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument in 2023 acknowledges the deep history of Native peoples and protects critical water supplies, animal habitat, rare species, scenic vistas, natural quiet, dark skies, burial sites, and ancient trade routes.

Practice your pronunciation with Carletta Tilousi, Grand Canyon Tribal Coalition coordinator and Havasupai tribal member.

Native peoples have stewarded these lands since time immemorial, and signs of their lives and histories are everywhere.

Scientists have documented  thousands of cultural resources  across the monument, but only a small percentage of monument lands have been formally surveyed. Thousands more ancestral footprints — in the form of petroglyphs, pictographs, rock structures, and more — follow the ridges, canyons, and creeks of Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni.

If you listen very carefully, you’ll be able to hear the footsteps of our ancestors.– Stuart Chavez, former Havasupai Tribal Council member

Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni protects lands sacred to many tribes today, including Red Butte in the south parcel of the monument.

Visible in all directions, Red Butte, known as “Wii’i Gdwissa” in Havasupai, “Qawinpi” in Hopi, and “Tsé zhin li’ahi” in Navajo, holds stories of countless generations, spanning back to the beginning of time.

Thousands of feet below the monument, huge lakes of ancient groundwater flow through an extensive network of limestone tunnels, caves, and passageways. This water bubbles to the surface at springs — vital lifelines for all species of desert dwellers — deep within the Grand Canyon and across the valleys, canyons, and mesas that make up Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni.

Springs, seeps, and seasonal creeks in the monument footprint drain into the Colorado River, which provides drinking water to 40 million people and sustains 5.5 million acres of agriculture.

In the Grand Canyon region, rhythms of life followed the seasons. Native farmers cultivated gardens in the summer; gathered pinyon nuts and edible roots in the fall; and hunted elk, deer, rabbits, and other small game in the winter. 

Baaj Nwaavjo protects nearly a million acres of grasslands and forests that are full of traditional foods, medicinal plants, building materials, and more.

Sagebrush grows across much of the monument. The silvery-green shrub is part of the sunflower family, can reach heights of one to nine feet tall, and live up to 100 years. Traditionally, sage has been used to treat colds, improve breathing, and soothe aching joints.

The Grand Canyon and the plateaus above it have given life to Native peoples for thousands of years. As descendants of the canyon’s original stewards, Southwest tribes have long advocated for additional protections of their sacred lands and waters that lie outside Grand Canyon National Park.

The designation of Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument lays the foundation for collaborative stewardship of the monument’s lands and waters, a step toward restoring tribes’ authority to manage their ancestral lands.

Tribes with ancestral ties to the area bring tribal expertise and Indigenous knowledge to the monument. A tribal commission helps guide proper care of the monument, including protecting archaeological sites, keeping the land healthy for wildlife, and determining where and how people visit the monument.

With sweeping vistas all around, Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni offers visitors a chance to unplug and enjoy the rugged beauty of the north and south rims of the Grand Canyon.