Chaco Canyon is a sacred place of deep cultural and spiritual significance to New Mexico and Arizona tribes. In its efforts to open up this sacred place to drilling, the current administration is ignoring its obligation to consult with area tribes and get their consent for development. In announcing a seven-day public comment period to decide the fate of a 1,000-year-old sacred place, the administration has also told tribes that they are being given 30 days to comment on the decision to open Chaco Canyon to oil and gas drilling.
Tribes are not simply public citizens. Our sovereign nations have inherent rights to make decisions about their lands, waters, and resources. Tribes hold nation-to-nation relationships with the federal government. It is a violation of the rights of sovereign Tribal Nations to provide just 30 days, which includes both national holidays and several traditional holidays for Pueblos, to weigh in on the most significant change to this sacred place in decades. Asking for public comments through an online portal is also a substantial barrier to our community. So many in the community, including elders, have inconsistent or unreliable internet access, essentially silencing or excluding voices that should be included.
The federal administration must conduct proper consultation with the impacted tribes whose origin stories, ceremonies, traditional foods and medicines, and cultural artifacts live within Chaco Canyon.
