The Trump administration’s move to reopen sacred land near Chaco Canyon to oil and gas drilling has sparked fierce opposition from Native American tribes and local communities.
Native American tribes and local communities are pushing back hard against plans to drill on sacred land near Chaco Canyon.
On April 1, 2026, the administration proposed revoking a 20-year mineral withdrawal around Chaco Culture National Historical Park in northern New Mexico.
The protected area covers 336,400 acres within 10 miles of the park’s boundaries.
In 2023, Biden administration Secretary Deb Haaland created the protections through Public Land Order 7923.
She described Chaco as a sacred place for Indigenous peoples since time immemorial.
The order was the result of decades of effort to protect the historic scenery.
The Trump administration’s move responds to a January 2025 executive order called “Unleashing American Energy.”
The Bureau of Land Management has started the process to reopen the lands to energy and mineral development.
This fits into the administration’s broader “drill, baby, drill” agenda, which has been rolling back Biden-era restrictions across the country.
Chaco Canyon holds more than a thousand years of history.
It’s home to a large concentration of Indigenous ruins and sacred architecture.
Tribes say it’s still a place of community and deep cultural connection today.
Critics warn that new drilling could destroy thousands of archaeological and cultural sites that can never be replaced.
Before the 2023 ban, nearly 90% of the Greater Chaco Region was already leased for energy development.
That prior drilling damaged air quality, water, wildlife, and public health.
New development could bring pumpjacks, pipelines, and roads that critics say would turn sacred scenery into industrial zones.
Opposition to the proposal is widespread.
A Colorado College poll found that roughly 71% of New Mexico voters oppose energy development near Chaco.
New Mexico’s congressional delegation has invited Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to visit the site.
Lawmakers have also reintroduced the Chaco Cultural Heritage Area Protection Act.
Tribes and officials have also criticized the process itself.
The public scoping period lasted only seven days, which many called far too rushed.
Tribal consultation on reversing the order began October 30, 2025.
The congressional delegation has also pointed out that the ban protects approximately 4,730 archaeological sites while operators would forgo only a few dozen wells over the next 20 years.
Chaco Culture National Historical Park is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, underscoring the global significance of the cultural landscape now threatened by the proposed rollback.
References
- https://www.npca.org/articles/11370-revoking-chaco-canyon-protections-would-risk-a-thousand-years-of-history
- https://news.oilandgaswatch.org/post/trump-wants-to-revoke-a-drilling-ban-around-a-cherished-world-heritage-site
- https://www.wilderness.org/articles/blog/3-reasons-protect-greater-chaco-canyon-oil-and-gas-drilling
- https://www.science.org/content/article/us-lawmakers-move-protect-historic-chaco-canyon-mining-and-drilling
- https://www.archaeologysouthwest.org/2026/04/01/revoking-chaco-canyon-protections-ignores-pueblos-tribes-and-the-public-repost/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPAtMBcoAvs
- https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/new-mexico-officials-tribes-accuse-feds-rushing-efforts-reverse-chaco-canyon-drilling-ban
