We were deeply saddened last week to learn of the death of longtime Tucson Congressman Raúl Grijalva.
Congressman Grijalva was a stalwart champion for so much that Sky Island Alliance has worked for and cares about. He was a steadfast ally in the work to protect borderlands communities and wildlife from the destructive forces of border wall construction and border security.
He was also an advocate for jaguars — fighting to keep their cross-border corridors open and to protect their habitat from destructive projects like the proposed Rosemont Mine. And he worked hard to keep special places in the Sky Islands under public management and protection through initiatives like the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan, which protects vibrant open space in Pima County. In all his work he was committed to honoring and respecting the voices of Indigenous peoples and communities of color, which have been ignored in conservation decisions for far too long.
Over the past 20 years of my work in the Sky Islands, he was a fierce defender of all we hold dear. He will be deeply missed. But his legacy will live on in the places, communities, animals, and plants he worked so hard to protect in the Sky Islands.
As Tohono O’odham chairman Verlon Jose shared this past Sunday evening at a candlelight memorial for our dear friend and fighter Raúl: “His spirit will never die. His spirit is within all of us. Our job here on Earth is to keep the fire burning for everything he stood for. Together we are stronger.”
We honor and celebrate the beautiful life and work of Congressman Grijalva. Here at Sky Island Alliance, we will continue to carry his spirit and continue the work in his honor.
To learn more about Raúl Grijalva’s life and legacy, see this obituary in the Arizona Daily Star.