There are thousands of national landmarks in the United States. But less than 3 percent of them are dedicated to members of minority groups, such as Latinos and women.

Ken Salazar, Secretary of the Interior and a former U.S. Senator from Colorado, believes more monuments should be created to honor the nation's diversity of heroes. He said the Interior Department is and can be instrumental in being the custodian of America's history.

Surprisingly, Congress agrees with him.

The Interior Department oversees all of the National Parks, the wildlife refuges and even monitors and regulates oil and natural gas drilling on public lands — both onshore and off.

"Our mission, in essence, is to be the custodian of America's natural resources and also to be the custodian of America's history," Salazar said. "It's in being the custodian of America's history that we do things like the celebration of the Civil War and the maintenance of forts in many places that are significant."...