Stroll land. I grow up swimming and have a sioux falls where i learned a deep respect for our land and water. I had the privilege to travel with my mother on her journey to fight for Environmental Justice for all people. I am here representing the next generation that has a responsibility to continue this vital work. This is our home, and we are committed to its protection. We are forever grateful for the president for his commitment to protect our homelands, for the tribe and everyone who recognizes the beauty of the grand canyon. It is a polish to welcome all of the tribal leaders among congressional leaders, and white house staff to our homelands. It is now my honor to introduce a true leader, pursuing environment till mental justice, president joe biden. [applause] pres. Biden thank you, please have a seat, if you have one. You do not have one, you can sit down anyway, if you want. [laughter] thank you very much. Thank you for the introduction. When i was your age, to be able to stand up and introduce anyone, let alone a president , i would have frozen. You are an oppressive young woman. I will come down to those waterfalls pretty soon. [applause] it is great to be here. Our first native american cabinet secretary, chair of our council of environmental quality. Governor, congratulations, you are doing a heckuva job. Senator sinema, and congressman, we have been hanging out since i got here. He has been a great friend, he is the most popular congressman in the country. He has been a leader as well. Thank you to all of the state and county and local officials who have worked hard to see this day happen. And you have. I know you have. To the bureau of Land Management professionals, thank you for caring for our public land. The most precious thing that we have. A special thanks to tribal leaders joining us, the ancestors and stewards of these lands, i got to meet most of you last night. A special hello to jimmy mccain. Where are you, i am going to embarrass you. There you are. Jimmys was a dear friend of mine, we were like two brothers, we got along together, and when we argued we argued like hell. But he was a man, a great patriot. You are just like your dad. Serving your country in iraq and afghanistan, continued to serve as a lieutenant in the United States army. Thank you, thank you, thank you powell thank you pal. I say this with sincerity. No one doubts that i mean what i say, sometimes i say all that i mean. I think about your dad and how much he loved this country. He was optimistic about our future. Thank you for being here and your continued service. America it americas natural wonders are the nations heart and soul. That is a fact. They unite us, inspire us. A birthright, you passed down from generation to generation. That is why, from day one, i have taken historic steps to conserve our natural drivers treasures for all ages. I signed an executive order establishing our most ambitious conservation goal ever. I made a commitment that we will protect 30 of all of our nations lands and waters, conserve all 30 by 2030. We are on our way, and we are delivering. Just my first year in office, we have projected more lands than anyone since the 1960s. John kennedy. 9 million acres in alaska, bristol bay. Minnesota, the boundary waters. We are working to protect 770,000 square miles in the Pacific Ocean southwest of hawaii. The new maritime sanctuary. A network of islands and reefs three times the size of texas on track to be among the largest protected ocean area on the planet. The water restore protection for three National Monuments, gutted by the last administration. The Grand Staircase and bearss ears. A little girl walked up to me, she walked up and said, mr. President , would you take care take care of bears ears for me . I didnt know what she meant at first. What took care of it. A third of the coast of new england and the northeast canyons and seamounts. We have designated new National Monuments as well. Colorado, 50,000 acres. Nevada, 500,000 acres. Texas, 6600 acres. Last month, honoring emmett till and his mother, in mississippi and illinois. [applause] but folks, this is not hyperbole, there is no National Treasure that is grander than the grand canyon. The grand canyon is one of the earths nine wonders of the world. Literally. Think of that. It is amazing. An enduring symbol of america and the entire road, the first time i saw the grand canyon, i was a young senator. As i stood there and looked out, a phrase came to mind, this is gods cathedral, it is so magnificent. As a matter of fact, it is one of the seven wonders of the world. Today i am proud to use my authority under the Antiquities Act to protect almost one million acres of public land around Grand Canyon National Park as a new national monument. [applause] help right the wrongs of the past and conserve this land of ancestral footprints for all future generations. Over the years, hundreds of millions of people have traveled the grand canyon, awed by its majesty. But few are aware of its history. From time immemorial, more than a dozen tribal nations have lived on these lands. But some 100 years ago they were forced out. The act of preserving the grand canyon was used to deny Indigenous People for access to their homelands. To the places where they hunted, gathered, took precious sacred ancestral sites. They fought for decades to be able to return to these lands. To protect these lands from mining and development, to clear them of contamination, to preserve their shared legacy for future generations. I made a commitment as president. To prioritize respect for the tribal sovereignty and selfdetermination. To honor the solemn promise of the u. S. , to fulfill federal trust and treaty obligations. I pledge to keep using all available authority to protect sacred tribal lands. My administration has worked alongside tribal leaders to keep that promise. At a time when some seek to ban books, we are making it clear, we cannot just choose to learn only what we want to know. We should learn everything that is good, bad, the truth, about who we are as a nation. That is what great nations do. [applause] and we are the greatest of all nations. Only the truth, comes healing and justice. And another step toward forming in more a more perfect union. Our nations history is etched and its people and lands. Todays actions are going to protect that history. Majestic cliffs, over 300 million years old, older than the oldest dinosaur ever known. Central to Creation Stories of so many tribal people, so many tribal nation. Fundamental to who we are, to their way of life, sacred ceremonies, ancestors are buried here, sources of reference and healing. These lands support a range of ecosystems and plants. A haven of species like bats, bison, Bighorn Sheep and 450 kinds of birds. Including the bald and golden eagles. The historic home of 3000 ultra sites, clubhouses, cave paintings. Ancient spots that help us understand the history of these civilizations. They are key to building resilience to drought and climate change. Creeks and streams flowing into the colorado river, supporting farms and ranches across the southwest, bringing clean water to 40 million americans. By creating this monument, we are setting aside spaces for families to hike, bike, fish and camp. Growing the tourism economy accounts for 11 of arizona jobs. Preserving these lands is good not only for arizona, but for the planet, good for the economy, good for the soul of the nation. I believe with my core that it is the right thing to do. But there is more work ahead to combat the existential threat of climate change. We have seen historic floods, intense droughts, wildfires, spreading smoky haze, thousands of miles. Record temperatures affecting more than 100 million americans this summer. Over over 110 degrees in phoenix for 31 straight days. Extreme heat is americas number one weather related killer. Extreme heat kills more people than floods, hurricanes and tornadoes combined. It is threatening farms, forests and fisheries of so many families that depend on to make a living. But none of this need be inevitable. From the start of my administration, have taken action to combat climate crises. Last year, i signed the largest climate l in the history climate bill in the history of the u. S. And the history of the world. The biggest investment and climate conservation and environment of justice ever, anywhere in the history of the world. [applause] at many parks, those same working saved working families thousands dollars of years, to install rooftop solar to conserve energy. It includes millions of dollars for native communities who are impacted of droughts by droughts and rising sea levels. And all these historic measures put us on track to cut all american emissions in half by 2030, we are well on our way. [applause] it creates enormous unemployment, employment, you normas growth. My mom enormous growth. There is a lot of good that is going to come from the sacrifices of dealing with taking on climate crisis. Folks, these are investments in our planet, our people, and america itself. Protecting our outdoor treasures, making our nation more resilient, some extremists are trying to undo it. I did not get any help from the guys on the other team my every Single Person voted against this historic clean energy investment. And now many are trying again to repeal these parts of the bill. But we will not let them. There is too much at stake. Let me close with this. Americas natural wonders are central to our heritage, and our identity as a nation. Conserving them not only protects the livelihoods of the people that depend on them, preserves key pieces of our history, the full american story for generations to come. It unites us, through all ages, and can access to something bigger than ourselves. Today marks a historic step preserving the majesty of this place. First, first among american landmarks, sacred tribal nations, revered by every american, speaks to the soul of our nation, reminds us of who we are. We are the United States of america, there is nothing, nothing beyond our capacity when we act together. Nothing at all. [applause] folks, god bless you all, may god protect our troops. I want to invite our guests on stage. As i signed the proclamation establishing ancestral footprint of the grand Canyon National monument, thank you, thank you, thank you. [applause] [indiscernible] pres. Biden here we go. [applause] [applause] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org] [captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2023]