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- By Native News Online Staff
On Tuesday, March 3, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan granted Tribal Nations’ motion to intervene in Torongo v. Burgum, a case challenging the designation of the Chuckwalla National Monument.
In August 2025, five Tribal Nations — the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians, the Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe, the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe, the Colorado River Indian Tribes and the Morongo Band of Mission Indians — filed a motion to intervene to defend Chuckwalla’s national monument status.
For years, the Tribal Nations led the effort to establish the monument to safeguard the landscape’s religious, spiritual, historic and cultural significance. They were joined by local and state government entities, local businesses, California elected officials and other community organizations. In 2024, President Joe Biden designated Chuckwalla as a national monument.
In May 2025, a Michigan resident who claims to hold a mining interest within the monument’s boundaries, along with a national off-road vehicle special interest group, filed the lawsuit challenging the designation.
“The court’s decision reinforces the Tribal Nations’ ability to protect Chuckwalla for their next generations. The Tribal Nations are the original stewards of the Chuckwalla landscape, and they will vigorously defend against this meritless attack,” said NARF Staff Attorney Lenny Powell.
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