The Department of the Interior has proposed to open Chaco Culture National Historic Park and the surrounding area to oil and gas drilling (see map attached). Tomorrow is the final day of a shamefully short 7-day public commentary period to speak out against the proposal. Click here to go to the Project Home Page. Click the "Participate Now" button to enter your comment.
Revocation of the Public Land Order withdrawing it from extractive development would be a travesty for the the indigenous peoples for whom Chaco Canyon has been a sacred place since time immemorial, and reversing it undermines the federal government's trust responsibility to protect sacred landscapes for Pueblo and Diné communities. In addition to the land being the center of indigenous sacred sites, such a revocation would result in irreparable damage to thousands of archaeological sites through vibrations, noise, and pollution. Because so much of the surrounding Federal land is already leased to industry, Chaco Canyon represents one of the few remaining areas free of the direct risks to air quality, water, and wildlife habitats associated with mining and drilling. The disastrously short public comment period shows the federal government's lack of interest in meaningful consultation with important stakeholders, a more appropriate time for which would be 18 months. Furthermore, the long-term irreversible destruction of cultural and natural resources outweighs any short-term economic gains that may be received by a handful of Diné allottees.
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Brittany Dinneen
Objects Conservator
Michael C. Carlos Museum
Atlanta
United States
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