These Are America’s New National Monuments

Avi Kwa Ame is also known as Spirit Mountain. It’s located in the Mojave Desert in Nevada and is considered sacred by 10 Native American tribes. The US government declared Avi Kwa Ame a National Monument - protecting 2,000 km2 of nearby land, home to bighorn sheep, desert tortoises, ancient rock art, and Joshua trees up to 900 years old. The government also protected the Castner Range in West Texas, which is the ancestral homeland of the Apache and Comanche tribes. Between 1926 and 1966, it was a US Army training base. Naming the Range a National Monument protects 27km2, including more than 40 known archaeological sites. The new park will honor US veterans and tribal nations and provide much-needed hiking and activity space for the nearby city of El Paso. Creating the National Monuments puts them off-limits for development. Watch to learn more about America’s latest national monuments.