Rev. Katie Sexton | Arizona Faith Network
This Indigenous Peoples’ Month, people of faith must speak with moral clarity: for far too long, commercial and political interests have desecrated Arizona’s sacred lands in the pursuit of profit and power. The places known as Baaj Nwaavjo – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon and Ironwood Forest are holy places tended by Indigenous peoples since time immemorial, and yet assaults persist from those who see creation only as a resource to exploit.
As faith leaders, we call this what it is: a sin against creation and against the peoples who have long protected it. Sacred texts from diverse traditions demand repentance, a turning away from destruction toward stewardship and justice.
We urge Arizona’s congressional delegation to publicly oppose any attempt to weaken protections for these lands. Preserving them is not a partisan issue. It is an act of honor toward the people who have stewarded them for generations and a commitment to the future we will leave to our children.
We call on people of faith and all Arizonans to contact their elected representatives now and urge them to safeguard Baaj Nwaavjo and Ironwood Forest National Monument. To honor Indigenous wisdom is to protect what is sacred. Anything less deepens the harm.
The Rev. Katie Sexton is executive director of the Arizona Faith Network and a Glendale resident.