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Friday 22 March 2019

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Tribes push to protect sacred New Mexico site from drilling

By FELICIA FONSECA
Associated Press
ACOMA PUEBLO, N.M. (AP)
— Native American lead-
ers are banding together
to pressure U.S. officials to
ban oil and gas explora-
tion around a sacred tribal
site that features massive
stone structures and other
remnants of an ancient
civilization but are facing
the Trump administration’s
pro-drilling stance.
Creating a formal buffer
around Chaco Culture Na-
tional Historical Park has
been a long-running issue,
but tribes are pushing for
further protections as U.S.
officials revamp the man-
agement plan for the area
surrounding the world heri-
tage site as well as large
portions of northwestern
New Mexico and southern
Colorado.
Federal officials repeatedly
have denied drilling leases
within a 10-mile (16-kilo-
meter) radius of the park In this Aug. 10, 2005, file photo, tourist Chris Farthing from Suffolks County, England, takes a picture while visiting Chaco Culture
as tribes, environmentalists National Historical Park in northwestern New Mexico.
and archaeologists have Associated Press
raised concerns about the the site was a ceremonial ican community about 60 Committee. “The tribes are that legislation will be rein-
potential effects on cultur- and economic hub for the miles (97 kilometers) west of organized and are going to troduced soon in Congress
ally significant sites like cer- Pueblo people, historians Albuquerque, amid the All be doing everything they to protect the land around
emonial structures called say. Pueblo Council of Gover- can.” Chaco Canyon. He said he
kivas outside Chaco’s Tribes in New Mexico are nors monthly meeting. President Donald Trump’s would not trust the Trump
boundaries. gathering Thursday at Aco- Navajo Nation President administration has aggres- administration to include
A thousand years ago, ma Pueblo, a Native Amer- Jonathan Nez, head of the sively pushed to open more protections in the federal
largest American Indian public lands to energy de- plan for the area.
reservation, also attended, velopment. It also went New Mexico State Land
along with New Mexico of- against the wishes of tribes Commissioner Stephanie
ficials and two members of and others by scaling back Garcia Richard said an ex-
the state’s congressional two national monuments in ecutive order from her of-
delegation. Utah that protected tribal fice is expected next month
The tribes want specific artifacts and other sensitive that would make state land
language in the area’s land. around Chaco off-limits
federal management plan Lawmakers and tribal lead- to any oil and gas leasing.
that would prevent drilling ers said at a congressional Most of the land surround-
near the park, instead of committee hearing this ing the park is federal and
protesting four times a year month that a 2017 Trump tribal land.
when the energy industry administration review of Accessible only by rough
requests lease sales on cer- lands protected nation- dirt roads, Chaco takes ef-
tain parcels. wide by past presidents fort to reach, and support-
“I think it’s unlikely with the didn’t take tribal interests ers say they want to pro-
administration the way it is, into account despite some tect the sense of remote-
but this is all part of the pro- of the lands being sacred ness that comes with mak-
cess,” said Keegan King, to them. ing the journey along with
a member of the pueblo U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich of the ancient features that
council’s Natural Resources New Mexico said Thursday remain.q