In 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt utilized the Antiquities Act to establish Devils Tower in Wyoming as the first national monument, a move Congress had been hesitant to make through legislation. This marked the beginning of a series of protections for significant sites such as the Petrified Forest in Arizona, Chaco Canyon, and the Gila Cliff Dwellings in New Mexico, the Grand Canyon, Death Valley in California, and what are now Zion and Bryce Canyon national parks in Utah.
Throughout history, nearly all presidents, with the exception of three, have employed the Antiquities Act to safeguard unique landscapes and cultural resources. President Joe Biden has recently created six monuments and adjusted boundaries for several others, with calls from Native American tribes and conservation groups for additional designations before the end of his term.
The Antiquities Act was signed by Roosevelt in response to concerns about commercial artifact looting and unregulated collecting. The Act was the first U.S. law to provide legal protections for cultural and natural resources on federal lands. Roosevelt's decision to protect Devils Tower was influenced by scientific curiosity about its geologic formation and the narratives of Native American tribes who hold ceremonies there.
President Biden's restoration of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante areas in Utah highlighted the spiritual and cultural significance of these sites. While some past monument designations displaced tribes from their ancestral lands, Biden's administration has made efforts to collaborate with tribes in managing public lands and incorporating Indigenous knowledge into decision-making.
Conservationists advocate for strategic use of the Antiquities Act to establish conservation corridors, especially as the demand for renewable energy and mineral extraction grows. Biden's recent designations have extended beyond the Western landscapes, including national monuments commemorating historical events like the 1908 race riot in Springfield, Illinois, and honoring figures such as Emmett Till and his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley.
Proposals for new monuments, such as the Greenwood area in North Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the Maah Daah Hey Trail in the North Dakota Badlands, aim to preserve and promote the cultural and historical significance of these sites for future generations.
