Jun 7, 2025
The Antiquities Act is the Heart of American Stewardship Policy
By Olivia Juarez, GreenLatinos Public Land Program Director, America The Beautiful For All Coalition Backbone Team member
Walking up a steep cemented trail, the sun beat down on my young family on our first trip to the first National Park Service unit I ever visited: Timpanogos Cave National Monument. Within Timpanogos Cave is the heart of Mt. Timpanogos—the namesake of the Timpanogos Nation of the Shoshone people who have called the Wasatch region home for time immemorial and who consider these places sacred.
President Harding proclaimed the cave a national monument in 1922 through his authorities given by the Antiquities Act of 1906. There is naught a recognition of the Timpanogos Nation in the proclamation nor on the National Park Service’s described history of the cave, while it does recognize the Paleo-period, Archaic, Fremont, and Ute people’s connections to the Timpanogos region.
President Trump’s Department of Interior is on a history-erasing crusade. New signage at national park units call on visitors to report interpretation that tells a negative story about the site or its history. But what does this mean for the units that already omit history? Recognition of Shoshone peoples’ connection to this monument and the region at large, depicted by a Shoshone historian and representative with the support of the National Park Service, should be essential to accurately record, “the greatness of the achievements and progress of the American people or, with respect to natural features, the beauty, abundance, and grandeur of the American landscape,” as sought after in the Secretarial Order that prompted the new signage.
The Antiquities Act of 1906 is celebrating its 119th anniversary on Sunday, June 8. This law is the best of its kind. It is easy to read and understand, unlike many complex environmental laws composed today. And it boils down to this: the president can proclaim national monuments to care for objects of prehistoric, historic, and scientific interest to the smallest area compatible with their management.
This 1906 Act has made it possible for millions across the world to learn from and enjoy outstanding and nationally important places and times in history. It was passed into law after decades of debate in Congress about mitigating vandalism and pilfering of historic places as more and more settlers made it out west. Thanks to the Antiquities Act, national monuments have ensured that sources of education, reverence and inspiration remain part of our national heritage for all generations.
For many Utahns like myself, they have inspired a love of the outdoors, a desire to recreate, and a responsibility to ensure these places are thriving. Timpanogos Cave National Monument introduces outdoor recreation to the more than 1.6 million people residing within an hour drive of the monument. Surrounding the monument is our beloved Wasatch National Forest, popular among people of all backgrounds for picnicking, hunting, fishing, swimming, hiking, backcountry skiing, snowshoeing, bicycling, and more.
I was maybe eight years old when my family huffed it uphill on a hot summer day to get to the cool reprieve of Timpanogos Cave National Monument. It is the first official hike that I can remember. My bangs stuck to my sweaty, red forehead. We ogled at chipmunks and snapped photos from a silver-colored film camera. I didn’t mind the goosebumps from the chill 45-degree air as we observed the awe-striking stalactites. I thought that the knowledgeable Park Service ranger leading the cave tour had an amazing job, and that maybe I would do something like her one day. Turns out I wasn’t too far off.
Like the Heart of Timpanogos Mountain is at the center of Mount Timpanogos, the Antiquities Act is at the center of American stewardship policy. It is vital to a high quality of life, as is the integrity of all public land and water across the U.S. and territories. May our efforts across the America The Beautiful For All Coalition ensure that this law and the hundreds of national monuments and national parks first protected as monuments remain in good shape for the 119 years to come and beyond.
More information: Learn more about Shoshone history in Utah and successful Tribal ecosystem restoration projects in the words of Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation Cultural and History Advisor Rios Pacheco and Vice President Brad Perry in the podcast Stay Salty: Lakefacing Stories.
