The U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona has dismissed two consolidated cases challenging the designation of the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument. The decision, made on January 27, 2025, was welcomed by Tribal Nations in the region, including clients of the Native American Rights Fund (NARF), such as the Havasupai and Hopi tribes.

This national monument protects a variety of historic and scientific objects, sacred sites, essential water sources, and ancestral lands belonging to numerous Indigenous Peoples. The protected area includes culturally significant locations for several tribes: Havasupai Tribe, Hopi Tribe, Hualapai Tribe, Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians, Las Vegas Paiute Tribe, Moapa Band of Paiutes, Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah, Navajo Nation, San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe, Yavapai-Apache Nation, Pueblo of Zuni, and Colorado River Indian Tribes.

The name "Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni" reflects Indigenous languages. In Havasupai language "baaj nwaavjo" means “where Indigenous peoples roam,” while in Hopi language "i’tah kukveni" translates to “our ancestral footprints.”