In 2023, on the U.S. House Floor, Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz., told Congress, “The real true act of patriotism, I want to remind my colleagues, is our responsibility and role to protect lives; to extend the future; to deal with fairness; and the public’s right to know and the public to have a voice in their future.”
Grijalva — the son of a Mexican immigrant and the congressman who represented Tucson and southern Arizona for more than two decades — truly believed in, and lived by, that sentiment, judging by the chorus of praise and condolences after his passing on March 13. It’s a message that will endure and inspire others to keep his work on behalf of public lands and tribal sovereignty alive and moving forward.
“There is no way to deny it. The planet is getting hotter, it is getting drier, and one of the things we need to do is confront the issues of these wildfires and other natural catastrophes that are happening — and confront them with the urgency that they demand.”
High Country News spoke with Grijalva in 2018, when he became chairman of the Natural Resources Committee. He was determined to change the committee’s apathetic stance toward climate change.
“There is no way to deny it,” Grijalva said. “The planet is getting hotter, it is getting drier, and one of the things we need to do is confront the issues of these wildfires and other natural catastrophes that are happening — and confront them with the urgency that they demand.”
Grijalva contributed to HCN over the years, writing on topics that are especially important to the West, such as the importance of preserving Alaska’s wildlife refuges and reforming the 1872 Mining Law, which governs hardrock mining on public lands. He spoke of the power of protesting to defend public lands and the need to overhaul energy policy and domestic oil production — all issues that are in the news again today, as Trump urges Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to “drill, baby, drill.”
“Instead of recognizing that renewable energy has become affordable, or acknowledging the environmental risks of continued greenhouse gas emissions, industry lobbyists and many of my colleagues repeat the same talking points they’ve been using for years,” Grijalva wrote in 2015. “I give them full credit for consistency, but they sound like a broken record that’s been skipping since the days of the first Westward oil rush.”
Grijalva served as chair of the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources from 2018 to 2023, advocating for protecting areas of cultural importance to Indigenous people, such as the Tonto National Forest’s Chí’chil Biłdagoteel Historic District, which is threatened by copper mining, and the ancestral lands around the Grand Canyon. He demanded that his colleagues pay attention to and act on the danger climate change poses to the Southwest and its people.
“Setting the stage for future victory is critical,” he told HCN in a 2006 profile, smiling as he talked about why it was necessary to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. “As is drawing a line in the sand about what’s right.”
Native American leaders, tribal nations and community organizers from the Southwest who worked with Grijalva honored him, sharing memories of his steadfast support for tribal sovereignty and his strong sense of justice.
“His commitment to equity, education, and the protection of tribal lands and sovereignty will never be forgotten,” said the Pascua Yaqui Tribal Council in a statement. “Congressman Grijalva’s voice was one of strength, compassion and integrity — qualities that defined his life’s work and his deep connection to the communities he served.”
The Pascua Yaqui Tribal Council added that he was integral to the passage of the Old Pascua Community Land Acquisition Act
Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo), secretary of Interior under President Joe Biden and Grijalva’s colleague in Congress, reminisced about his compassion and mentorship in a statement.
“He was unwavering in his work to protect our air, land and water, and a powerful advocate for Tribal communities everywhere,” Haaland said. “I will miss his keen sense of humor and astute way of ‘telling it like it is.’”
Former Navajo Nation President Johnathan Nez honored the congressman’s role in protecting the Grand Canyon in partnership with a tribal coalition and securing essential resources for Diné communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“He served as a true public servant for the people of his district and of Arizona,” Nez said in a statement. “May his legacy live on through the impacts of his public service and the countless people he touched along the way.”
Wendsler Nosie Sr. of Apache Stronghold, who worked with Grijalva to protect Oak Flats, noted his sense of care and commitment to all of Arizona.
“(Grijalva) was someone who listened, to me, to everyone,” Nosie said. “That human side of him was his leadership — he cared, you could tell.”
Grijalva introduced the Save Oak Flat From Foreign Mining Act in 2023. Though the act did not succeed in getting through Congress, Apache Stronghold refused to give up and petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court in 2024 to protect Oak Flat.
“What he’s left behind is something that we should all gravitate to and move forward with,” Nosie said. “My firm commitment is that it’s not just been about us Apaches or Native people, but all of us.”
Public servants who work with tribal governments spoke of Grijalva’s legacy and what it meant for the future.
“What he’s left behind is something that we should all gravitate to and move forward with. My firm commitment is that it’s not just been about us Apaches or Native people, but all of us.”
‘”Congressman Grijalva was a strong ally to the Navajo Nation and Indigenous peoples across the country,” Navajo Nation Council Speaker Crystalyne Curley said. “His commitment to our sovereignty, lands, and rights was unwavering.”
He was “a pillar of progressive leadership and a champion for those too often unheard in Washington,” Navajo Nation Council Delegate Carl R. Slater said. “His steadfast advocacy for public lands, working families, and Indigenous communities leaves behind an enduring legacy that will shape policy for generations to come.”
That work continued throughout his entire life, until his death from cancer at 77.
The Colorado River Indian Tribes said that with his passing, they had lost a dear friend. “Congressman Raúl Grijalva was one of our great champions in the halls of Congress, who until his very last moments was a defender of our Tribe, our sovereignty, our land, and our water.”
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