Heinrich, N.M. Delegation Stand with Pueblo Governors to Demand Congress and the Trump Administration Protect Chaco Canyon

At a press conference in front of the U.S. Capitol, the N.M. Delegation and Pueblo leaders invited Secretary of Interior Burgum to visit Cacho Canyon before deciding its fate

Video of the full press conference here

WASHINGTON - At a press conference in front of the U.S. Capitol, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, U.S. Representative Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), and U.S. Representative Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), Member of the House Natural Resources Committee, joined 20 Governors and leaders from the Santa Ana, Picuris, Cochiti, Zia, Tesuque, Acoma, Santo Domingo, and Laguna Pueblos to demand the Trump Administration permanently protect Chaco Canyon and invite U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to visit the Greater Chaco landscape before deciding its fate.

Located in northwestern New Mexico, the Greater Chaco landscape is a region of great cultural, spiritual, and historical significance to many Pueblos and Tribes that contains living sacred sites. Chaco was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 and is one of only 24 such sites in the United States.

In 2023, the Biden Administration announced it would commence a 20-year Administrative Withdrawal of non-Indian federal lands in the 10-mile buffer zone. That welcome step has been successful and is still in place but is under threat from the Trump Administration and Republicans in Congress.

"Chaco Canyon is a living cultural landscape central to the culture and identity of Pueblos in New Mexico. And right now, this sacred landscape is under threat by the Trump Administration," said Heinrich. "I invite Secretary Burgum to do what Secretary Bernhardt did: Come out, see this with your own eyes, walk these grounds, meet with the people whose identities are so intricately connected to this place before you make a decision about its future. This is not about the past; it is about the generations to come. And we stand united here today to say that Chaco Canyon is a place worth protecting."

"A molecule of gas is the same wherever it comes from, but the remnants of the kivas, the buildings, the plazas - and the ceramics, bone tools, and other artifacts tell us the story of Chaco Canyon. They connect us to the past and to our history. Each of those sites and artifacts is unique and irreplaceable. Each of those sites, if it is lost to a bulldozer, can never be replaced. It will be lost to history forever," said Leger Fernández. "We must permanently protect Chaco Canyon from drilling and extraction that would destroy this living landscape. That's why I introduced the Chaco Cultural Heritage Area Protection Act. Our New Mexico Congressional delegation has worked hard on this bill because we must recognize cultural homelands like Chaco."

"Chaco Canyon is not only a historic site, it is a living, sacred place where culture, prayer, and community endure," said Stansbury. "Allowing drilling here would be allowing drilling in a sanctuary. This place is holy and New Mexico's Congressional Delegation stands united with the Pueblo and Tribal Leaders fighting to protect Chaco Canyon for generations to come."

"Chaco Canyon is one of the world's greatest treasures and it is vital that it is protected for our future generations," said Luján. "As one of only a handful of World Heritage Sites in the United States, Chaco Canyon holds deep spiritual and cultural significance for our Tribes and Pueblos. That's why I am proud to have introduced legislation earlier this year that would permanently protect Chaco Canyon and the Greater Chaco Region. With so many Pueblo leaders in D.C. this week, it is clear that protecting Chaco Canyon and the Greater Chaco Region is a top priority, and I am committed to continue fighting to ensure we protect it for generations to come."

"New Mexico's Pueblo leaders traveled to Washington, D.C. to send a powerful message: Chaco Canyon must be permanently protected," said Vasquez. "This sacred landscape is central not only to the cultural and spiritual identity of the Pueblos, but also to the story of the Southwest and our nation's history. I'm proud to stand with Tribal leaders and my colleagues in Congress to ensure Chaco's irreplaceable legacy endures."

The N.M. Delegation was joined by Acoma Pueblo Governor Charles Riley, Santa Ana Pueblo Myron Armijo, Tesuque Pueblo Governor Earl Samuel, Cochiti Pueblo Lieutenant Governor Jeff Suina, Picuris Pueblo Governor Wayne Yazza Jr., Laguna Pueblo Governor Harry Antonio, Kewa Pueblo Lieutenant Governor Raymond Aguilar Jr., and former Governor of Zia Pueblo Jerome Lucero. The Pueblo leaders shared impactful words about the cultural significance of Chaco for their peoples.

"We as Pueblo leaders have come united as one to ensure that the protections for one of our most sacred places are kept in place. We come as a united front to show that all Pueblo leaders are behind us," said Acoma Pueblo Governor Charles Riley.

"We all trace our lineage to Chaco, and it remains today an active, cultural site. We go there for prayer and enlightenment. We stand here today united and we ask the Trump administration and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to take this into consideration and protect Chaco," said Cochiti Pueblo Lt. Governor Jeff M. Suina.

"We are in Washington, DC as Governors representing our respective Pueblos asking this administration to protect Chaco Canyon. We have been here since time immemorial, and I ask President Trump and Secretary Burgum to acknowledge that," said Laguna Pueblo Governor Harry Antonio Jr.

"All Pueblos have a unique distinction to Chaco. The way the Picuris Pueblo is trying to protect this sacred area is through a DNA study. And we learned that the stories that our grandma and grandpa passed down from generation to generation were true: That the Picuris come from Chaco," said Picuris Pueblo Governor Wayne Yazza Jr.

"Our ancestors are at Chaco Canyon, and when you pray, you can feel it. Chaco is a very spiritual place, and I pray that this administration leaves its protections in place," said Santa Ana Pueblo Governor Myron Armijo.

"Our bloodlines, our heritage, our culture, our identity all come from Chaco Canyon. We [are] all stewards of our own people, the animals, our communities, and our culture, and this all started at Chaco Canyon. Washington, DC is your nation's capital and Chaco Canyon is our nation's capital," said Santo Domingo Pueblo Acting Lt. Governor Raymond Aguilar.

"Greater Chaco is a sacred site to all the Pueblos. It is where we go to pray; not just for our Pueblo members, but for everyone around the world," said Tesuque Pueblo Governor Earl Samuel.

"It is disheartening that we are still fighting to protect Chaco Canyon, but it is also great to see the advocacy from many leaders before us. Unfortunately, many of those leaders have passed on, but this is worth fighting for our children and the ones still to come. And that is why we are standing here fighting for our ancestral grounds," said Zia Pueblo Former Governor & Assistant Tribal Administrator Assistant Jerome Lucero.

In April, the N.M. Delegation reintroduced legislation to protect Chaco Canyon and the greater sacred landscape surrounding the Chaco Culture National Historical Park. The legislation is led by Luján in the Senate and Leger Fernández in the House.

The bill will prevent future leasing and development of oil, gas, and minerals on non-Indian federal lands within a 10-mile buffer zone around the park. This proposed Chaco Protection Zone will preserve the sacred sites and cultural patrimony within Chaco Canyon and the surrounding landscape for generations to come.

The Chaco Cultural Heritage Area Protection Act is supported by the All Pueblo Council of Governors (APCG), Archaeology Southwest, Native Lands Institute, New Mexico Wild, Nuestra Tierra Conservation Project, New Mexico Wildlife Federation, New Mexico Voices for Children, The Wilderness Society, Conservation Lands Foundation, Environment New Mexico, Sierra Club, and the National Wildlife Federation.

In June, Heinrich led the N.M. Delegation to send a letter to U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) Secretary Doug Burgum expressing deep concern over the Department's actions to begin the process of revoking protections around Chaco Canyon in Public Land Order No. 7923.

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