Back in the 1800s, white attackers turned a lush high desert oasis in eastern Nevada into killing fields. They massacred hundreds of Native people there — a horrific history once retold in hushed tones behind closed doors. That was until tribal members reluctantly found themselves defending the valley’s historical significance in state hearings. In the 2000s, they shared their painful past with authorities weighing whether to divert substantial amounts of groundwater that feed the valley their relatives have long considered sacred. Now they want to tell their story on their own terms. A three-tribe coalition representing about 1,500 enrolled members is lobbying the federal government to designate nearly 40 square miles as a national monument.

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