While the towering landforms of Monument Valley appear timeless, human impact is
radically altering their environment. Located in the Navajo Nation, Monument Valley
Tribal Park (MVTP) is an iconic symbol of the Southwest, its images reproduced in travel
brochures and publications around the world.
Each year, over 250,000 people spend millions of dollars to visit the Tribal Park, yet Navajo
residents struggle economically, living without electricity, drinking water, indoor plumbing, and
decent roads. The Monument Valley Tour Operators Association, Inc. (MVTOA), a nonprofit pro-
fessional organization, recently formed Friends of Monument Valley to focus expertise on restoring the human and natural landscapes of one of the most amazing places in the world.
A central part of this effort is controlling vehicle access to the Tribal Park's fragile interior. Thousands of vehicles driving through the park degrade natural resources, while dust and traffic pose health risks to the residents. MVTOA is working with Park officials to control access so that only permitted vehicles and certified guides would be allowed to take visitors into the park. Concurrently, MVTOA is raising funds for an assessment of the park's natural and human resources to determine best methods for restoring Monument Valley while implementing economic development and infrastructure improvements for residents.
Tourism is basically an extractive industry. Outside companies bring in visitors who take away beautiful photos, memories of sunsets, and a few souvenirs, but leave little to benefit the residents. Meanwhile, they leave tracks and trash that mar the land while creating clouds of dust that choke plants, animals, and people.
Very few visitors interact with residents, viewing through the windshield as if they are just another scenic object in the landscape. A recent review of two years worth of newspaper clippings about Monument Valley found only one article that talked about the Navajo people who live here today. That article was written by a travel editor who was wondering why there were no articles about Monument Valley as a living culture with real people in it.
Friends of Monument Valley seeks to address these issues through working with the Tribal Park, residents, local communities, and outside tour companies. A keystone for this plan is a system of restricted vehicle access to the 17-mile Valley road. Careful planning can ensure that this system will accommodate the needs and interests of all of the stakeholders.
Friends of Monument Valley can be instrumental in creating public awareness and support for these efforts. Needed contributions of technical assistance and resources, which can be tax-deductible, include:
Organizational and Systems Support for local Navajo nonprofits, including an office with phone, internet access, computer, desk, and staff person; Resource Assessment with surveys and remediation plan to conserve Monument Valley's natural, cultural, and human resources; Economic Development Training to build capacity with local Navajo entrepreneurs and MVTP residents; Community-Based Tourism Planning to help the Navajo people determine what they want to share and how to host their visitors; Public and Stakeholder Education about environmental restoration and community development; Advocacy for the Tribal Park and the project with the community, tribe, and the world at large; and Marketing and Promotion to educate visitors about the Navajo people, land, and culture.
For more information, please e-mail friendsofmonumentvalley@yahoo.com or call Harold Simpson, MVTOA President, at 435-727-3362.
See also the Navajo Times article: Saving Monument Valley Group hopes to begin effort to save, restore tribal park by Bill Donovan.
MONUMENT VALLEY TOUR OPERATORS ASSOCIATION, INC.
a nonprofit organization incorporated in the Navajo Nation
PO Box 360448, Monument Valley, UT 84536