‘God’s cathedral’: Biden designates national monument near Grand Canyon

Tourists look out from the south rim at the Grand Canyon on 4 May 2023. Photograph: Ty O’Neil/AP

Joe Biden signed the proclamation establishing a national monument in Arizona on Tuesday, surrounded by a small crowd of Indigenous leaders and lawmakers who have championed permanently protecting the land.

“It’s not hyperbole to suggest there is no national treasure, none grander, than The Grand Canyon,” the president said on Tuesday, describing the valley as “God’s cathedral”.