Navajo Nation Council Delegate Curtis Yanito traveled to Washington, D.C., last month to advocate for the protection of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and defend a resource management plan developed through extensive Tribal consultation and collaboration.
During the two-day congressional visit, Delegate Yanito joined partners from the Grand Staircase-Escalante Inter-Tribal Coalition in meetings with congressional staff and stakeholders to discuss concerns over efforts to use the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to overturn the monument’s current Resource Management Plan.
The discussions centered on preserving Tribal consultation efforts, maintaining government-to-government relationships, and protecting culturally and historically significant landscapes that hold deep connections to Tribal communities.
Coalition representatives reported that the House Rules Committee agenda did not include Grand Staircase-Escalante, suggesting that a House vote on a CRA challenge to the Resource Management Plan is not expected in the immediate future. Congressional members participating in recent meetings also indicated that their offices had not received formal notice of scheduled House or Senate action on the matter. However, coalition partners noted that attention could shift to the Senate in the coming weeks.
The Resource Management Plan was developed through collaboration among Tribal leaders, cultural specialists, and natural resource experts. The framework incorporates Traditional Indigenous Knowledge and Indigenous stewardship principles into monument management, while also providing protections for archaeological resources, wildlife habitat, sacred sites, and culturally significant landscapes.
Delegate Yanito emphasized that Tribal stewardship responsibilities extend far beyond policy debates.
“Grand Staircase-Escalante carries generations of cultural teachings, sacred connections, and responsibilities that our people continue to uphold today,” Yanito said. “The work completed through consultation and collaboration represents years of commitment by Tribal leaders.”
He added that the perspectives of cultural practitioners and community leaders remain essential as discussions continue regarding the monument’s future.
Coalition partners also expressed concern about the long-term implications of overturning the Resource Management Plan through the CRA. Congressional members noted that such action could prevent future management plans deemed “substantially similar,” potentially creating uncertainty for future co-stewardship efforts and cultural resource protections.
According to Yanito, the debate carries significance beyond Grand Staircase-Escalante itself. He said the outcome could influence broader national discussions about Tribal consultation, monument management practices, and the recognition of Indigenous stewardship principles in future federal decisions.
The 25th Navajo Nation Council and the Grand Staircase-Escalante Inter-Tribal Coalition said they will continue advocating for meaningful government-to-government consultation, collaborative co-stewardship approaches, and continued implementation of protections established under the current Resource Management Plan.