Honoring Native Land

Avi Kwa Ame is considered sacred by the Yuman speaking tribes which include the Mojave, Hualapai, Yavapai, Havasupai, Quechan, Maricopa, Pai Pai, Halchidhoma, Cocopah and Kumeyaay. The area is tied to their creation, cosmology, and well-being. Spirit Mountain (called Avi Kwa Ame by the Mojave Tribe) is located on the eastern boundary of the monument and is also sacred to the Hopi and Chemehuevi Paiute.

According to the Mojave Tribe, which serves as caretaker of the mountain and surrounding landscapes on behalf of the other Yuman tribes, the area within the monument is physically and spiritually connected to the viewshed and landscapes that surround Avi Kwa Ame. They believe this connection is through the mountain peaks and ranges surrounding Avi Kwa Ame. The network of trails and cultural sites and the corresponding creation stories links their tribe and religious traditions to this important landscape.

Another area of religious and cultural importance to the Mojave and Chemehuevi Tribes is the Dead Mountains in the southern portion of the monument. The Dead Mountains contain areas of both sacred and ritual importance that are associated with traditional cosmogony, delineate religious events, embody religious figures, and identify burial places.

Important cultural resources are known to exist within the Monument lands including prehistoric lithic scatters, rock shelters, petroglyphs, and quarry sites. The ancestors of present day Native American people thrived in these lands for nearly 14,000 years. Please respect these lands and traditional uses by Native American people who have utilized these lands as an important part of their respective cultures for countless generations. Do not touch or walk upon petroglyphs and the rare pictographs.

History

Historic use of southern Nevada began in 1826 with blazing of the Old Spanish Trail by American and Mexican explorers. The Rock Springs Land and Cattle Company began grazing in the Paiute Valley in the early 1900s, using the Walking Box Ranch as a base of operations. After changing hands several times, the Bureau of Land Management acquired the ranch in 2004. The property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  Grazing has not been permitted in the monument area since 2006.

In the southern part of the Monument is a section of the historic Mojave Trail, which was originally used by Mojave and other Native Americans to transport goods from the southwest to trade with the Chumash and other coastal tribes. The trail was later modified into the Mojave Road, also known as the Government Road, which serves both civilian and military travelers, mail carriers, and supply wagons between Arizona Territory and California.